


what you didn't know / pansy parkinson

by thestockmarketcrashof1929



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Book 5: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-06
Updated: 2021-01-14
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:21:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 16
Words: 30,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26319358
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thestockmarketcrashof1929/pseuds/thestockmarketcrashof1929
Summary: Beatrice Mittal was always bad at letting things go, for a Hufflepuff, the girl was incredibly petty. She could remember whenever someone owed her money or had wronged her in any shape or form. So, it was no surprise that Beatrice hated Pansy Parkinson.But Pansy isn’t all that she seems and keeps worming her way into Beatrice’s life until the hatred that Beatrice held so fiercely for Pansy begins to form into something far more powerful.If that wasn’t enough, Dumbledore has seriously decided to fuck up her year with the Triwizard Tournament, could no one at this school understand what a peaceful education was?“Very sweet, but could you actually do your schoolwork now” – My mum“Woof”- Katiea pansy parkinson romance
Relationships: Pansy Parkinson/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

  * For [katika](https://archiveofourown.org/users/katika/gifts).



The sun shone through the windows of the Mittal cottage, its beams falling on the squinting face of Beatrice Mittal.  
She groaned and rolled over in a futile attempt to fall back into her dream world when a small black kitten affectionately jumped on her head.  
“Dinah, please” She groaned, gently pushing the kitten away. This did not bode well with Dinah.  
Beatrice sat up to a loud crash and a smug Dinah sitting on her dressing table where her plate once had been.  
“Alright, you woke me,” Beatrice said pointedly “I don’t see why you have to take it out on mums plates though”  
The Mittal cottage was a sweet little brick house that lazily sat in the middle of the English countryside. Pretty fruit trees dotted around the outside of the cottage while various houseplants and oversized paintings invaded the inside.  
Beatrice climbed down the ladder of her attic room with a cautious Dinah following. She could hear the radio and saw her plump father settled in his orange armchair reading the newspaper over thin-framed glasses.  
“Mornin’ Dad” Beatrice placed a kiss on Farhal Mittal's forehead and peered into his newspaper, “Reading the Prophet again?”  
Farhal sighed, “Trying to, at least, I keep having to ask your mother what on earth they’re talking about half the time”  
Susan Mittal's laughter rang out from the warm kitchen “Love, you’ve had sixteen years to figure this all out, it took me about a year”  
The wizarding world was not where Farhal had grown up, he was a muggle, once oblivious to the magical ideas of Hogwarts, witches, and wizards. Susan, on the other hand, was a pureblood witch who had fallen head over heels for Farhal after rescuing him from a rather grumpy pixie.  
She popped her head around the door “Sleep well?” She asked her daughter with a smile.  
Beatrice shot a grumpy look towards Dinah, “I would’ve if that cat would stop tormenting the kitchenware”  
Dinah licked her paw, jumping up into Farhals's lap innocently.  
“How are you feeling for back to Hogwarts love?” Susan asked passing Beatrice a cup of tea  
She smiled appreciatively, she was excited for the possibility of a normal year but she didn’t think that would be possible, not as long as Harry Potter kept trying to get killed. She wasn’t close with the famous Gryffindor or had ever really spoken to him but did occasionally chat with Neville and Ginny.  
…………..  
September 1st had quickly become Beatrice’s favourite day, ever since she was an excitable first year with luggage bigger than her it was impossible to not fall in love with the splendor of the Hogwarts Express.  
“Don’t forget to write, often” Susan pulled Beatrice into a tight hug as they stood on the bustling train station, “And try not to fight with Dinah too much” She added with a fond look towards to the cat who had gotten into a staring contest with a nearby owl.  
“I’ll write but I swear that cat deserves every insult I throw at it,” Beatrice said, the last part obviously under her breath. “Dad? Don’t miss me too much” She said teasingly to her father who was loudly bawling his eyes out, attracting the attention of the entire platform.  
“I can’t help it,” He said muffled into his hankie, “If it wasn’t for your mother, I’d send you to a school with less yearly attacks”  
Beatrice giggled and Susan gave an exasperated sigh.  
“Dad, I don’t even hang out with that crowd” She replied, “Plus, I love Hogwarts far too much to even consider moving schools”  
He gave out a dramatic sigh, kissing his daughter on the forehead.  
“As much as this argument amuses me,” Susan said, breaking up the pair, “Beatrice won’t even have a school to go to if she misses the train” She pointed to the train which was filling up quickly.  
Beatrice kissed her mother and scuttled onto the train with a quick wave to her parents, she focussed on finding her friends.  
The train bustled with excitement, first years twittered about nervously while older students reunited with old friends, siblings bickered and lovers embraced, everything was how it was supposed to be, just how Beatrice liked it. She walked down the train, nosily peering into the cabins searching for her friends.  
Finally, she saw a lanky looking boy teasing a small mousy girl over what seemed to be chocolate frogs.  
“School hasn’t even started, Summers, give Harriet a break” Beatrice snatched the chocolate frog out of Summers's hands and chucked it over to Harriet, who caught it gratefully.  
“That could’ve been mine, Bee” Summers protested, “I could’ve bought that with my hard-earned money and you would assume it was Harrys”  
Beatrice shot him a look, “As if you would spend your money on snacks when you could just mooch off us”  
Summers mock scowled at her before bursting into a long detailed and very convoluted rant about this year’s Quidditch world cup. He had gotten taller over the break and had all his limbs in proportion. Harriet on the other hand seemed to have shrunk, buried in her endless sweaters, nose already back in her book.  
The noise of Summers chattering and the movement of the train seemed to be the perfect recipe to send Beatrice quickly into a dreamless sleep.  
………  
“Bee, you gotta get changed”  
“Five more minutes, Dinah” Beatrice mumbled sleepily.  
“Sorry Harry, we’ve lost her to the nargles now”  
Grumpily, Beatrice opened her eyes to Harriet and Summers kneeled beside her, holding a scowling Dinah.  
“Mornin’ your majesty, you’ve snored our ears off for six hours,” Summers said pointedly, “Please tell me you did it on purpose so my anger can be justified because I haven’t had a moment of peace”  
“I doubt Harriet has had a moment of peace with you around either” Beatrice sat up, “Sorry for abandoning you, Dinah never lets me sleep properly when we’re at home”  
Beatrice sat up sleepily and began to gather her robes. Robes were not Beatrice’s favourite thing to wear, both her and her mother far preferred muggle clothes and wore them at every opportunity so coming back to the heavy cloaks made her want to bang her head against a wall. The only thing she did not hate about the uniform was her yellow tie which she proudly wore.  
There was no doubt that Beatrice was going to be in Hufflepuff when she was younger, her mother had come from a long line of Hufflepuffs and had even named her Beatrice so she could be a little yellow bumblebee.  
Walking down the train, she looked for the changing cabin so she could have a little more privacy than Summers who just stripped in front of any poor sod who was unlucky enough to be around.  
Suddenly, her feet betrayed her, and she found herself barrelling into another student and tumbling to the floor.  
“Oh my god I totally didn’t mean to, I’m wasn’t thinking are you o-“Beatrice stopped abruptly as she saw the sour face scowling back at her.  
Pansy Parkinson.  
To say that Pansy and Beatrice did not get along would be an understatement, they didn’t have a rivalry, they just purely and simply hated each other. Beatrice hated her snobbish behavior, her blatant prejudice, and her sadistic joy in causing others misery. She didn’t hate many people, there wasn’t much that could get her riled up, but she just couldn’t stand bullies.  
And now she had bumped into her, literally.  
“Do you often trip over your feet, Mittal?” Pansy scowled at her, standing up and dusting herself down, “Must be those hideous long bangs in your face”  
“You should consider cutting some, Parkinson” Beatrice retorted, “The more of your face covered, the better” Before Pansy could respond, she quickly stalked off, trying to avoid conflict before the school year had even begun.  
She sighed a sigh of relief when she was safe back in the compartment with Summers and Harriet, Parkinson didn’t scare her but she sure could make life hell.  
“Bee, please tell Harriet I am a grown man and absolutely need some of her chocolate frogs, she's been hogging them the whole train ride” Summer whined.  
“Please children, children I am tried” Beatrice flopped onto the seat and dramatically laid her head on Harriet's lap, “Guess who I accidentally tackled to the floor”  
Summer peered over, “Don’t tell me, you found my dream woman in the train and she wants to meet me”  
Beatrice looked over, “I had no clue Parkinson was your type, Summer, you should’ve said, I would’ve put in a good word for you”  
Harriet gave out a small musical laugh while Summers grimaced and mock threw up, “Solid pass there, Bee, but it just does seem your luck to run into Parkinson and annoy her further”  
“I know” moaned Beatrice, “I didn’t even see her through my bangs”  
Susan had decided to give Beatrice a hair cut ‘the muggle way’ after reading far too many Vogue magazines that her mother had sent over from London, she had tried to give Beatrice layered curtain bangs but all she had managed was a rather unflattering fringe that impaired Beatrice’s vision, making her a walking hazard  
“Oi, looks like we’ve arrived” Summers pointed out the window. Hogwarts stood grandly in the distance, its warm lights welcoming new and old friends alike. She was home.  
………  
Beatrice almost fell asleep during Dumbledore's speech, the minute she heard Triwizard Tournament, she knew her peaceful school year had been signed off and she was now staring at a floating candle wishing it would drip wax onto Dumbledores head as punishment.  
Summers, of course, was excited, he was underage but had convinced himself that he could easily fool the cup. “It’s a cup, how can it tell my age?” He puffed about once the speech had ended, “I’ll be putting my name in, Bee, just you watch” He slung an arm around Harriet and Beatrice and dragged them along to the Hufflepuff common room.  
Dinah had already stalked off to pick fights with other cats and Beatrice was already slipping back into her constant state of sleep. All she wanted was to be tucked up into her bed but fate and her feet seemed to have other plans, she stubbled forward, and with the weight of Summers's arm and Harriet in tow she began the fall down the stairs until she fell at the feet of, yet again, Pansy Parkinson.  
Beatrice cursed as she untangled herself from the Hufflepuff pile and brushed herself off and turned to face the sniggering Slytherins and the unimpressed Pansy.  
“Twice in one day, Mittal” Pansy smiled mockingly, “Imagine how many times I would count if I actually cared or noticed your presence”  
“Sod off, Parkinson” Summers retorted, helping Harriet up and scowling at Pansy.  
“I’m sure she can fight her own battles without the help of a mute and her lanky boyfriend who doesn’t shut up” Pansy retorted cruelly at Summers whom Harriet was cowering behind.  
“She’s not my girlfriend and don’t call her a mute Parkinson” Summers reached for his wand threateningly.  
Beatrice put her hand out, the situation was getting a bit too heated for her tastes, while she seethed at Pansy insulting Harriet, she knew that Summers had too much on his record to be starting fights this early in the term.  
“Let's go, Summers,” Beatrice said gently but turned back to give Pansy a scowl, “Get better insults, Parkinson, anyone would think you’re losing your touch”  
Before Pansy could retort with some form of hex, the trio scuttled off to the Hufflepuff common room. Sinking into bed was all that Beatrice had on her mind and starting a fight with Pansy was not along those lines.  
After calming Summers down, Beatrice could finally cozy up under her covers and forget about the long and tiring day she’d had, blissfully slipping into a dream state, unaware of the trouble she had just stirred up.


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two   
As ever, Beatrice found herself almost falling asleep. It’s not that Beatrice wasn’t a dedicated student or didn’t enjoy school but something about Professor Binns's droning voice that could make the most hyped student take a dreamy nap.  
Summers snored loudly next to her much to the annoyance of the classmates around them, occasionally muttering something about quidditch and then turning to the other side. The only interesting thing that could be possibly found in the classroom of 4F was the portrait of a dainty young woman, the only painting not covered in cobwebs.   
She wore a white gown and her nose was stuck in a battered copy of Pride and Prejudice, she would only occasionally look up and gaze out the window in the painting but never to interact with the students or chat to the other paintings, it was almost if she hadn’t noticed them at all.   
Beatrice had noticed her in her second year in a particularly boring lecture on the Goblin Wars. The lady had been staring out the window sadly and had tugged on Beatrice’s heartstrings, ever since then, Beatrice would gaze at her, coming up with all sorts of wild backstories. An heiress to a fortune, waiting for her lover to return or even a daughter of a merchant left behind by her father. Her imagination would run wild and somewhat keep her awake.   
She could remember her father reading Pride and Prejudice to her as a little girl, she wasn’t particularly impressed at the age of nine and far preferred shorter books but Farhan would sit her down and make the squirming child listen to endless discussions of romance and fantasy.   
“But I thought they hated each other” moaned a young Beatrice, who was lying on the cozy rug playing with an annoyed Dinah.   
“On the contrary love, they loved each other very much” Farhan laughed heartily at Beatrice’s scrunched up face, “They were just unable to communicate their feelings but helped each other along”  
Beatrice gave him a blank stare, “Don’t get it” she said staring up at her father.   
Farhan sighed, “Should we read something else” He got up and scoured the tall bookshelf that lined the walls, “Maybe another Romance”  
She groaned and dramatically rolled along the floor, “Nooo, dad, not more romance I can’t stand them” she flailed about, earning an angry meow from Dinah.   
Beatrice smiled fondly at the memory and looked up to finally see Professor Binns dismissing the class and Summers yawning.   
“I think that must be the best nap I’ve had to date; I see why you like them so much,” Summers said stretching.   
“I wish I could say the same” grumpily muttered the Ravenclaw who had been stuck near Summers snoring.   
Summers looked around confused, “What? What did I do?”  
Beatrice snorted at her friend and began to walk out of the musty classroom with one look back at the white lady.   
“God, I swear these first years get smaller every year” grumbled Beatrice at Summers as they walked down the crowded hallway. The first years were always excitable this time of year, much to the annoyance of older students.   
“I know, I keep mixing Harry up with small little Hufflepuffs,” Summers said with an affectionate ruffle to Harriet’s head who shot him a glare from underneath her pigtails.   
Harriet was infamously short and hadn’t grown in years, that and her timid behavior often got her mixed up with the first years, causing Beatrice and Summers having to explain that the short girl was in fact not a first-year and was not supposed to be in a flying lesson.  
“Poor Harry, leave her height alone” Beatrice pretending to shield Harriet from Summers, affectionately patting her head.   
Harriet gave the pair a small eye roll.   
…………………  
Beatrice sat on the top floor of the astronomy tower covered in paint and in a heated discussion with a portrait who had thought it was appropriate to comment on the stylistic choices of Beatrice’s painting  
“I just believe he’d look better in red and gold” huffed the portrait of a young man surrounded by lions.   
“He absolutely would NOT,” Beatrice said indignantly, “You’re just saying that because you’re a Gryffindor, you do this every time”   
The portrait gasped and pretended to act hurt, “Beatrice I’ll have you know, I was regarded as a highly important man in my time, I had excellent taste and would never let my house impact my creative choices”  
“You were eaten by lions, Rodrick, I’m not taking advice from someone eaten by lions” Beatrice glared at Rodrick.   
Rodrick turned around and proceeded to ignore Beatrice.   
Normally the Astronomy Tower was off-limits to students not in class but back in her second year she had found a passageway that curled around the tower and led up to a small balcony shielded from the weather, it was unknown to Filtch and many nights Beatrice would bring up her father's tape player and hum along to old muggle music while painting and chatting to portraits who had grown fond of the Hufflepuff girl.   
It was raining as always but the soft jazz and rain seemed like the perfect combination to Beatrice.   
“Hello?” A voice rang out from the lower floor of the tower.   
Beatrice froze, from where she sat, no one in the tower could see her but they could most definitely hear her music.  
“Maybe if I sit very still, they’ll think the music is coming from somewhere else,” she thought to herself, grasping at any hope that they’d leave and not give away her secret spot.   
“I know someone’s up there; I can hear the music”  
Beatrice wanted to hit her head against a wall.   
“Sorry dear” the portrait of a group of dancers caught the attention of the student, “We like to dance and play music at night, reminds us of the old days” A murmur of agreement rang out from the portraits.   
Beatrice shot a thankful look towards the dancers who winked subtlety and returned to dancing.   
“Oh, okay,” the voice said, “Please don’t stop, I’ll just be down here”  
“Jeez, can she not take a hint” Beatrice hissed to Rodrick, who continued to ignore her.   
The noise of the portraits continued to cover up Beatrice on the balcony as she slowly slunk down the stairs. Through the banisters, she couldn’t make out who the voice was, she squinted her eyes and tried desperately to put a face, but the darkness enveloped the figure. Huffing, she gave up and trudged back to the Hufflepuff common room.  
…………  
Days merged in anticipation for the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students to arrive, the corridors buzzed constantly with talks of champions, balls, and whatever this tournament would entail.   
Finally, the day had rolled around, and no one could be more excited than Summers.   
“Seriously, Bee, how does my hair look?” Summers said, eagerly slicking his long blonde hair back to his head.   
Beatrice eyed him up and down, “Like you always do, just greaser” she poked at his head, “Jeez Summers, didn’t know you were taking hair tips from Snape”  
Summers slapped her hand away and grimaced, “Please don’t compare my gorgeous locks with him, I like to spice it up every once in a while”  
The trio was standing in a group on the shore waiting with the rest of Hogwarts for the schools, Summers motives were purely at the interest of his own, to find some poor unsuspecting Beauxbatons girl and whisk her away as a date. Beatrice and Harriet were there to save the said girl but were also intrigued by the other students. Durmstrang didn’t exactly have a clean reputation and neither knew much about Beauxbatons so there was much to anticipate.   
Suddenly, the loud voice of Hagrid roared above the crowd, making way for an elegant carriage pulled through the sky by flying horses. Gasps of delight escaped from the crowd as they came to land in the courtyard, even Harriet’s eyes seemed to widen and sparkle in the presence of the creatures.   
Yells of shock began to erupt as a magnificent shipwreck emerged from the water, it glinted in the moonlight as the water drained off the sides and seemed to glow in the dark Scottish sky.  
The new students began to exit their vehicles, Beauxbatons students floating down the steps and Durmstrang’s marched militarily as everyone filed into the great hall for Dumbledore to welcome the guests.   
Beatrice glanced over at an enamoured Summers, “Shut your mouth, you’re gonna start drooling, I don’t think the French like those with spit down their front” she said teasingly, pretending to wipe Summers robes.   
He broke from his trance and scowled playfully at her, “Don’t miss me too much while I have a lovely lady and you will be a sad little cat lady, doomed to live with Dinah’s wrath forever”  
She shuddered, “Don’t even joke, Dinah, is already waiting to kill me in my sleep” She took a seat at the Hufflepuff table, “I swear, the only people that cat likes, is Dad and Harriet”  
“Yeah, people who don’t talk a million miles a minute” Summers retorted; his mouth already stuffed with bread.   
Beatrice glared at him. She began to tune out from the rowdy behavior of her friend who had already begun another argument with a classmate. She let her eyes wander past the Ravenclaws to the Slytherin table where the Durmstrang students had made themselves at home with Draco and his gang   
“Of course, he’s snatched them up” she scoffed to herself.   
Draco had surrounded himself with the most popular Durmstrang students with his usual gang scattered throughout. There was only one that Beatrice couldn’t seem to find, Pansy was missing from the table. She squinted harder, scouring the table for the sour-faced girl. Nowhere to be found.   
“Where would she even be” Beatrice mumbled to herself.   
“Huh?” She snapped out of her trance to the sound of Summers's voice.   
“Sorry Bee, were you gonna say something?” Summers and Harriet stared at her attentively, waiting for her to talk.   
“Nah, sorry” Beatrice scratched her hair, “I completely zoned out, what are we chatting about?”  
Summers cleared his throat, “Well, Harry is making this a very one-sided conversation” he said grouchily, shooting a look to the smaller girl who shrugged apologetically.  
“We’re just trying to figure out who I’m gonna take to the ball, obviously I have many ladies biding my attention” He puffed out his chest proudly like a peacock.   
“Those poor poor girls” Beatrice sighed shaking her head, taking a swig from her drink.   
“Oh yeah, sorry Miss Popular, who are you bringing again?” Summers squinted, “I don’t see any ladies around you”  
“I’ll take Harriet,” Beatrice said defensively, “She’s my wing-woman”  
“She literally cannot complain, Bee, that’s not even fair”   
Harriet coughed suddenly to catch the attention of her rowdy friends, shooting each a look that seemed to read, “Stop arguing you, loud bastards”  
Well, something like that at least.   
Beatrice hadn’t even thought about the dance, she didn’t have a date, she didn’t see the point, there weren’t exactly many people willing to date her, of the female species anyway. Even if there was, would she be even able to bring them? She loved Hogwarts, but if her blood was prejudiced against, she couldn’t imagine what they’d say about her liking women.


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter Three   
The feast had been more crowded than usual, and Beatrice felt exhausted from the buzz of the day. Sometimes she just found it best to take breaks from all the noise and fuss or she’d end up sleeping through the next morning. 

As she trudged down the empty corridors to the common room, her attention was brought to the sound of footsteps rapidly approaching from behind her. Students weren’t supposed to slip away in the middle of the feast, especially when guests were arriving. Quietly, she slipped behind the statue of a proud horse and watched carefully as Professor Flitwick skipped past with a gleeful look on his face. 

The footsteps began to fade and Beatrice breathed a sigh of relief, her whole body relaxing, she let her armrest on a loose tile that slipped forward, plunging Beatrice into darkness.   
She let out a shriek as she fell onto the wet grass and rolled down the hill, only to be stopped by a bush that broke her roll. 

Beatrice moaned grumpily as she brushed off her bruised body and began to look around, she was standing at the entrance of the Forbidden Forest. 

“Did I fall out of the castle?” she muttered to herself, scratching her head and looking back, “I knew it was old, didn’t know it was a secret tunnel to nowhere old”

A dull light in the corner of her eye caused Beatrice to turn around sharply and spot a figure disappear into the shadows of the forest.

“Probably just Hagrid,” she said to herself nervously, tightening the grip on her wand. 

The grounds of Hogwarts seemed different at night; the mist that seemed so far away from the safety of the castle now loomed around her. Barely a star could be spotted but Beatrice found herself drawn to the forest, she almost felt like she was being pulled into it by an invisible force and her arms and legs were walking on their own as if she was in a trance. 

She followed the light, but her eyes darted about, waiting for something to jump out of the trees. The light began to get closer and closer until it drew her into a clearing where a herd of unicorns grazed lazily. 

Beatrice stopped herself from gasping in delight and lay back, shrouded by the shadows. 

The figure began to come into view as Beatrice’s eyes adjusted to the light, Pansy Parkinson sat stroking a young unicorn gently with a soft look on her face. The moonlight shone down through the trees and hit Pansy’s pale skin making her look like a glowing angel amongst the hard shadows of the forest. 

Beatrice stood there mesmerized by the sight, who knew Pansy could look so gentle and at peace? She began to take a step forward but to her horror, a twig snapped beneath her foot, startling Pansy, and the unicorns. 

The unicorns galloped into the trees, disappearing from sight, leaving an angry Pansy Parkinson behind.

“Who’s there?” She yelled out, wand raised towards the trees, “Show yourself”

Timidly, Beatrice crept out from the shadows looking at her feet. 

“Mittal?” Pansy asked angrily, “What the hell? Are you following me?” She pointed the wand at Beatrice threateningly. 

“No, I kinda fell here” Beatrice retorted, trailing off. 

“You fell here,” Pansy said, her face glowering, “I would’ve expected a better lie than that but then again, you are a Hufflepuff”

Beatrice stiffened at the comment and raised her wand to match Pansy’s, “Take that back Parkinson”

Pansy scoffed and tilted her head mockingly, “Or you’ll do what? C’mon Mittal don’t act all tough now”

Beatrice’s eyes narrowed, “Stupefy!” she yelled aiming her spell at Pansy’s chest. 

Pansy dodged and cast a quick disarming spell, knocking Beatrice back and her wand to fall from her hand.

“Mittal” Pansy bent down to gaze right into Beatrice’s face, “Just admit it, you’re no good at this, you never will be any good at- “ 

Pansy’s insult was cut short by Beatrice’s fist flying into her nose and tackling her to the ground. The two girls struggled on the ground, wandless, shrieking at each other while pulling hair and digging their fingernails into arms and legs. 

“Girls?!” A shocked Scottish voice rang out from behind them. 

The pair continued to struggle with one another before they were levitated into the air and were faced to face with a seething Professor McGonagall.   
……..  
“Never in all my years in Hogwarts and I doubt in anyone’s time at Hogwarts have I seen such disgraceful, disgusting behavior” bellowed McGonagall, “Two fourth years rolling about in the dirt like a pair of hooligans”

Beatrice shrank under the weight of McGonagall’s words. The pair had been taken up to the professor's office and sat to wait for their house heads, looking very disheveled and sorry for themselves. 

“Professor- “Beatrice began to try explaining herself. 

“Don’t even try to explain yourself, Miss Mittal” McGonagall dismissed Beatrice’s attempt to speak, “There is no possible way to redeem yourself fighting after hours in the Forbidden Forest, no less”

“I will be speaking to the heads of your houses about this and I will be taking one hundred points from each Slytherin and Hufflepuff” McGonagall continued, “I expect to see the pair of you back here after class tomorrow for your detention.”

“But Miss” Pansy cried out. 

“Not another word, Miss Parkinson” Professor McGonagall glared at Pansy over her glasses, “The heads of your houses are waiting outside to take you back to your dorm”

Beatrice’s heart sank. 

It was well known that Hufflepuff tended to be the most well-behaved house due to Professor Sprout, no one could bear to let down the kind-hearted woman who treated every student as one of her own and was adored by al. 

It broke Beatrice’s heart to see the face of Professor Sprout, who normally bore red rosy cheeks and a grin, with a sad disappointed look down at her.   
They walked back in silence. Beatrice couldn’t find the words to explain herself, how was she supposed to say, “Oh yah Prof, I fell down a hole and rolled into Pansy Parkinson, Slytherin bully, stroking unicorns” Her story was hardly believable. 

To the surprise of Beatrice, Professor Sprout walked straight past the common rooms and lead Beatrice to a painting of a bowl of fruit. 

“Professor?” Beatrice asked, confused. 

Professor Sprout motioned for her to be quiet, she began to stroke, almost tickle, the pear in the painting and the frame swung open. 

Beatrice's eyes widened as she followed the professor into the tunnel, it brought the pair into a warm stone kitchen with house-elves cleaning the plates. 

“Professor, where are we?” Beatrice asked, looking around in excitement.

“These are the Hogwarts kitchens; you didn’t think the feasts made themselves, did you?” Professor Sprout laughed heartily at Beatrice’s expression. 

Beatrice turned to look at her professor, “But why did you bring me here? I’m not exactly acting brilliant tonight”

The professor smiled kindly at the girl, “Come sit and have some coca with me”  
…………   
The pair sat by the light of fire sipping on their coca and marshmallow, Beatrice stared into the fire, watching the flames dance about, wondering what the Professor was thinking. 

“When I was your age,” Professor Sprout began, “Possibly even younger”

“Believe it or not, I was quite the troublemaker” She winked at Beatrice, who couldn’t possibly imagine the sweet old lady as anything of the sort, “It got so bad, one night, I got caught red-handed sneaking out to see a dashing Ravenclaw boy by my headteacher, Professor Beery” She blushed deeply, “In my defense, the boy was quite handsome.”

Beatrice chuckled at the thought and settled into her armchair, listening intently to Professor Sprout's tale. 

“Beery was always one for the dramatics, but not that night, no. He took me down to the kitchens and made me a hot chocolate and chatted to me about how our actions can display how we’re feeling at the moment” She smiled fondly, “We must’ve chatted all night and from then on, I was much more well behaved, still me, but I had a newfound respect for the professor”

“He might’ve been dramatic but he cared deeply about each and every student and I have tried to reflect him in every way I could” Sprout looked into the fire, “The reason I’m telling you this is because I think that your actions could reflect your current state, not the sneaking out, no” Sprout looked up from the fire up to Beatrice, “I’ve noticed that you seem to be in dreamland most days, not like your normal self”  
Beatrice blinked a few times, “My normal self, Professor?”

“Yes, dear” Sprout smiled warmly at the girl, “You’ve missed meals and I think your friends are beginning to notice too”

Beatrice's eyes shifted down to her hands, she had forgotten what her old self had been like, it seemed so long ago. It was true she was acting strange; she was exhausted all the time even though she slept much more than the regular person, everything just seemed so draining. 

“I am having trouble with tiredness’ Beatrice sighed, “I guess I thought I could just shake it off”

“That would explain it” Professor Sprout rested her hand on Beatrice’s, “I’ll get Madame Pomfrey to whip you up something”

She stood up, briskly brushing down her skirts, “I’ll arrange for you to miss class tomorrow since you will be undoubtedly tired” she smiled and winked, “Don’t worry about explaining that Miss Parkinson situation, I’m sure detention will sort itself out”

Beatrice looked up her, almost ready to burst into tears, she doubted Snape would’ve been as kind to Pansy. 

“And I don’t expect to get any late-night calls from McGonagall again,” Professor Sprout said firmly before breaking back into a grin, “Let's get you back to bed, dearie”  
…………..  
Beatrice had slept completely through her Tuesday morning, only to be woken by a disgruntled Susan Bones and Harriet staring over her. 

“C’mon seriously Bee” Susan groaned, “It’s exhausting enough watching you all tucked up sleeping peacefully, did you have to add snoring to the mix? We can hear you from the common room”  
Harriet nodded, solemnly. 

“Go away, I’m tired” mumbled Beatrice sleepily, the events of last night had sent her spiraling into a state of exhaustion. 

“Do want you want, just do it quietly” Susan sighed, leaving Harriet and Beatrice alone in the dorm.   
Harriet stood there anxiously for a few minutes before sitting on the bed cross-legged and staring at Beatrice quizzically. 

“Don’t look at me like that,” Beatrice said muffled from under the covers, “I can feel your eyes boring into me from under the blankets” She sat up with a huff, hair everywhere and the usual massive bags under her eyes.

“I have detention with Parkinson tonight,” Beatrice said sighing, “Don’t even ask” she added with a look towards Harriet’s wide-eyed stare. 

Grumpily, Beatrice pulled herself out of bed and stumbled towards the bathroom. Looking in the mirror her brown hair was matted and her bangs had decided to stick up as if they had been charmed, her dark eye bags stood out against her olive skin making her look as if she hadn’t slept in weeks.   
She examined the long scratch that Pansy had left down her cheek and frowned in annoyance, apart from a few bruises, Beatrice was unscathed, the Slytherin girl was a brilliant dueller but not so much when it came to a physical fight. 

She combed through her matted hair, wincing at the dreadlocks that had formed, neither of her parents had trouble with their hair but Beatrice’s had gotten so long it was beginning to develop its own personality. 

Harriet entered the bathroom and deftly hopped onto the counter and waited patiently for Beatrice to start talking. 

“It was weird, Harriet” sighed Beatrice, “I don’t like the whole situation, the less I have to do with Parkinson, the better”

Putting down the brush she sighed and looked up at the small girl, “I still hate her from when she used to torment you”

Harriet put the hand in Beatrice’s reassuringly. 

“I know you’ve gotten over it but I haven’t,” said Beatrice angrily, “You should be angrier you know, she was bloody awful, she still is”  
………  
“The pair of you will be cleaning the portraits in the astronomy tower tonight,” Professor McGonagall said firmly, “Without wands”

Pansy and Beatrice stood in front of the Professor for their detention, neither girl was looking forward to being stuck with each other for the next god knows how many hours. 

“But Professor, that will take us all night” Pansy whined. 

McGonagall narrowed her eyes, “I didn’t think the pair of you had a problem with being out late at night? Or was that two different students I caught out of bed”

Pansy seemed to shrink under McGonagall's harsh glare. 

“Mr. Filtch has been kind enough to find you some dusters, I suggest the pair of you get to it” McGonagall smiled wryly. 

Pansy pushed passed Beatrice grumpily to enter the tower. Beatrice huffed and followed her. 

The pair began to work in silence, climbing up the landers that adorned the tower and cleaning off the frames of the paintings, most of the paintings seemed to ignore the girls but a few had taken it upon themselves to follow and critique the girls work. 

“Now, you’re never going to get it clean if you don’t pay attention to the finer details, Miss Parkinson” complained a particularly nosy portrait of a teacher, “Back in my day, you would’ve never found a student ignoring the finer details, we had a sense of responsibility”

“Shut up” grumbled Pansy, “Why did McGonagall lecture us if you were going to do it too”

Beatrice stifled a giggle, Pansy was getting far more lectures than her, the portraits knew all too well for Beatrice’s dislike for Pansy and were taking it upon themselves to more than mildly annoy her. 

“What are you smiling about over there, Mittal” Pansy sneered, “If you don’t recall, it's your fault we’re in this situation in the first place”

Beatrice turned indignantly, “My fault? How is it my fault?”

“If you hadn’t been creepily following me, McGonagall wouldn’t’ve caught us and I wouldn’t be wasting my time cleaning these stupid paintings” Pansy retorted, with a scowl directed at the painting previously critiquing her. 

Beatrice laughed in disbelief, “We wouldn’t’ve been caught if you hadn’t started a fight and I wasn’t following you, I know it must be shocking for you, but not everyone cares what you’re doing”

“And if I recall” Beatrice continued, “You were the one stroking unicorns after hours in the Forbidden Forest, I was only there on accident”

Pansy froze. 

“What would people say when they heard that Pansy Parkinson had a soft spot for all things cutesy” Beatrice laughed mockingly. 

“Yeah?” hissed Pansy, “Well no one’s ever going to believe you”

Beatrice turned to retort angrily but as she turned, she felt her foot slip from the safety of the ladder, and she was plummeting to the stone floor.


	4. Chapter Four

Groggily, Beatrice opened her eyes and winced at the bright lights above her. 

“Where am I?” she thought, scrunching her eyes, trying to recall what had happened, “Did I fall over again?”

“Mittal, hey, Mittal”

Beatrice groaned at the nose that rang in her ears and tried to focus her vision onto the blurry figure standing above her. 

The worried face of Pansy was looking over Beatrice, her normally picture-perfect hair, disheveled.

“Pansy?” Beatrice sat up, the pounding in her head beginning to cease, looking around, she was in the Hogwarts infirmary. 

“Madame Pomfrey” Pansy called behind her, “She’s come around” 

Anxiously, she turned back to Beatrice, “Hey, how many fingers am I holding up” she held out three fingers, Beatrice slapped them away. 

“Don’t worry, Parkinson, I can still see”

“Who said I was worried?” huffed Pansy, crossing her arms in annoyance, “Just didn’t want your death pinned on me”

Madame Pomfrey bustled up to the pair and began to fuss over Beatrice, Pansy slunk over to the corner of the room, sneaking the occasional glance. 

“Now, I’ll get you to take this, Miss Mittal” She handed the girl a brown liquid, “Tastes awful, but will take care of any lasting injuries”

Beatrice shuddered as she drank the bitter liquid, it tasted like charcoal and didn’t go down any better. 

“Sweet little friend you’ve got there,” said Madame Pomfrey casually as she changed the band-aid on Beatrice’s head. 

“What?” Beatrice asked, confused. 

“Your friend” Madame Pomfrey pointed to Pansy, “She burst in here dragging you along, fussing over you, she didn’t have her wand either and carried you all the way from the Astronomy Tower, strong little thing”

Beatrice blinked in surprise and looked over at the Slytherin girl who was almost falling asleep, “Pansy did?”

“Yes, dearie” Madame Pomfrey laughed, “I must say, it's lovely to see her with some friends, I always see her on her own”

She walked away with the dirty bandages, leaving Pansy and Beatrice alone in the room. 

Awkwardly, they stood in silence before Beatrice began to slip her shoes on and wobbled to her feet. 

“Mittal, what are you doing, you just fell five stories” Pansy opened a lazy eye to warily watch the girl begin to walk, “Aren’t you supposed to wait for her to say you can go” She gestured to where Madame Pomfrey had left. 

“I’m fine now” huffed Beatrice, she straightened up and walked right in front of Pansy. 

“Yes?” Pansy cocked an eyebrow, “Can I help you?”

“Have you eaten?” Beatrice said firmly looking right at Pansy, “You’ve been here all night, right?” 

Pansys face flushed, “I suppose,” she said, embarrassed, looking away, “None of your weird friends were   
awake, and Sprout sleeps like a rock so I guess I stuck around”

Beatrice smiled, “Follow me”  
………..   
“Mittal, where the hell are we going” Pansy hissed 

“Shhhhh!”  
The pair were tiptoeing down the stone corridor, with only a candle and wrapped in the hospitals warm dressing gowns they had found, Pansy had taken the only green one, leaving Beatrice with the muddy brown colored one, which had once been white but had been subject to one too many injured quidditch players. 

“Seriously, do you want us to get caught again, Parkinson” Beatrice turned to Pansy, “You walk like an elephant”

Pansy glowered and went to retort before Beatrice pulled the girl into a room with various fruit paintings.   
“Mittal, please tell me you didn’t drag me around at three in the morning to make me look at a fucking fruit painting,” Pansy said with a deadpan look on her face. 

“Just close your eyes” encouraged Beatrice. 

“Fine” Pansy rolled her eyes and covered them with her hands, “Don’t you dare leave me here or I’ll-“

“Open them”

Pansy’s eyes widened as she saw the girl standing where the painting had been, a secret tunnel went into the wall.

“What is this?” Pansy peered into the tunnel.

“The Hogwarts kitchens” Beatrice smiled mischievously, “C’mon, you’re hungry, right?”

Beatrice lead Pansy into the warm stone room and sat her down on one of the kitchen chairs, she then got to work, scurrying around the kitchen, peering into cupboards, and chucking various foods together.   
Pansy watched the girl bustle about, enjoying the warmth of the kitchen and dressing gown. 

“Here”

Pansy snapped out of her trance and looked over at Beatrice who handed her a mug of what seemed to be coca. 

“What's this?” Pansy looked up in distaste.

“Its hot chocolate” Beatrice frowned, “Haven’t you ever had hot chocolate before?”

“No, Mittal I’ve had hot chocolate before, this isn’t it” Pansy stared at the girl, “Why have you attacked it with sprinkles and cream, are you trying to give me diabetes?”

Beatrice scoffed in annoyance and went to take it, “Fine then, if you don’t want it I’m sure-“

“No! You already gave it to me” Pansy snatched it back, “Might as well drink it now”

Beatrice concealed a small smile at the hot-tempered girl. 

They both sat there in the early hours of the morning, drinking their cocoa in silence in their oversized dressing gowns by the warmth of the fire. Beatrice felt strangely at peace at that moment, like nothing in the world mattered apart from drinking hot coca with Pansy Parkinson.   
…………..   
Days past in anticipation for the first task, all the Hufflepuffs were excited to have Cedric Diggory finally giving them the recognition the house so often lacked, this being said, many were also angry that Harry Potter had also somehow been picked for Hogwarts. It felt as if he was trying to drag the attention away from Cedric despite being younger and this disagreed with many, especially Summers. 

“Does he know that almost being murdered doesn’t give him the right to do what he wants” Summers ranted angrily in front of the Hufflepuff common room, “Loads of people are almost murdered, my dad was almost murdered by my nan when he knocked up my mum, you don’t see Dumbledore kissing his arse”

Beatrice rolled her eyes, it had been the same routine since Harry's name was pulled out of the goblet, Summers had started every morning raving about his hatred for Harry Potter. Honestly, Beatrice doubted that Summers was doing this out of justice. The boy had originally tried to put his name in the goblet by drinking an age potion but had backfired and grew a long grey beard to rival Dumbledore’s own. So, it seemed likely that Summers was just jealous of the boy who lived for figuring out how to get past the age line. 

Some people had decided to take things into their own hands and created nasty little badges that read,   
‘Support Cedric Diggory, the real Hogwarts Champion” but had been charmed to change to “Potter   
Stinks”

Beatrice pitied the poor boy; she didn’t appreciate the yearly attempts on his life that tended to mess with her studying but it was hardly his fault. She was glad that she wasn’t in Gryffindor, it seemed like a very tiresome job.

She was more preoccupied with her encounter with Pansy, both girls hadn’t uttered a word to each other since the night in the kitchens and Beatrice certainly was not going to make the first move. She cursed herself for being so nice to the girl, taking her to the nurses was the bare minimum, why should that be rewarded with hot cocoa? 

Pansy was a bully, always had been. She tormented Harriet and countless others, people like that were cruel. Beatrice reassured herself by saying it was simply a moment of weakness, she wouldn’t be so nice next time.

“Hey, Bee?”

Beatrice snapped out of her trance. 

“Seriously, what is up with you lately?” Summers stared worriedly into Beatrice’s face, he pressed a cold hand to her forehead, “Are you sick?”

Beatrice gently patted Summers's hand away, “I’m fine, just freezing to death out here” she shivered. 

“What did I say before we left the dorms, Bee, don’t leave your scarf behind, what does she do? Forgets the scarf” Summers huffed leaning back, “I’m not listened to around here”

Harriet giggled before passing her scarf over to Beatrice and the trio huddled together. 

The three Hufflepuffs were gathered outside in the Quidditch Arena waiting for the first task to begin, none of them knew what to expect, Summers had suggested Cornish pixies but was ignored, as usual. 

Gasps of horror escaped from the crowd as the challenge was revealed to the students

Dragons. 

Blood drained from Beatrice’s face, surely, they couldn’t make students fight dragons. 

Cedric Diggory was the first champion to timidly enter the arena, he stood face to face with a silvery blue dragon that snarled and paced about the grounds, after much struggling, he transfigured a rock into a dog, much to the approval of McGonagall, it only distracted the dragon long enough to realize that Cedric had grabbed the egg. Furious, it turned to burn Cedrics face, much to the terror of the crowd but the Hufflepuff boy seemed to pull through and complete the task. 

Fleur and Krum came after, Fleur had made the unwise decision of wearing a skirt and Krum had smashed half of the dragon’s real eggs which enraged most of the audience and the dragon's handlers. 

“They should disqualify him then and there” Beatrice yelled angrily along with the roars of the crowd. 

Both pulled through and finally it was the turn for the one everyone had been holding their breath for, Harry Potter. 

He seemed so small compared to the size of the fiery dragon. Beatrice held her breath as the young boy went head to head with the dragon. 

Everyone cheered as he summoned his broomstick and flew around, grabbing the egg but was slashed   
on the shoulder. 

The winners were Harry and Krum tied for first place, Cedric and then Fleur in third place. 

“I can’t believe he came first after what he did to that poor dragon” grumbled Beatrice, “It was bloody awful of him”

“Technically, he’s tied with Harry” reminded Summers, “But I agree, Krum and Karkaroff give me shifty vibes”

Harriet nodded at the pair. 

“God at least it’s over for now” sighed Beatrice, “I swear I have grey hair from that task alone” she obnoxiously shoved her head into Summers's face, “See! See!”

Summers swatted her head away, “Jesus woman, leave the face alone” He pretended to stroke his cheek, “I am an artwork, you may look but not touch”

Harriet rolled her eyes. 

“Plus, the stress isn’t over, for now, you still need a date for the Yule Ball remembers?” Summers added pushing Beatrice teasingly, “I don’t see any dates surrounding you”

Beatrice groaned, “Please god no, can’t I take Harriet?” She looked hopefully over at the small girl who shook her head sympathetically. 

Summers sighed dramatically, “Do not worry my little bumblebee” he slung his arm around Beatrice’s shoulder, “As your fairy godmother, I will find you a date for the ball”

Beatrice stared at him with a deadpan look, “I regret letting Dad show you muggle fairy tales”  
………….  
“So, let’s look at our options here” Summers whispered over the table.

He had dragged the pair to the library for operation ‘Sad and Lonely’, as he called it, much to the annoyance of Beatrice. 

“Do I seriously need a date for this?” Beatrice moaned, head on the table, “I enjoy being sad and lonely”

“Beatrice Mittal!” scolded Summers, “Knowing your mum, she’s probably sending you a gorgeous dress that you will underappreciate and needs a gorgeous date to accompany”

Beatrice mock shot herself in the head, “What’s the point if I can’t take anyone I like?”

Harriet rested her hand on Beatrice’s, her usual gesture of comfort. Summers did the same. 

“I know, Bee,” Summers said softly, “Your situation fucking sucks and if you do decide to take a girl you like Harriet and I will beat anyone up who says a word, but it's okay if you don’t because telling so many people feels like a lot”

Beatrice smiled at the pair, “I love you two” She stood up, “Shall we find me some poor unsuspecting boy?”


	5. Chapter Five

Beatrice’s nose twitched.   
It twitched again.   
And Beatrice woke up with a loud sneeze, startling the other Hufflepuff girls in the dorm.   
“Jesus Mittal” grumbled Hannah Abbot who awoke, only to complain and then fell straight back into a deep sleep.   
“Sorry, Hannah” Beatrice grinned at the only other girl in the dorm. Both Beatrice and Hannah were the last to awake however while Beatrice got more than her typical thirteen hours, Hannah would often only get two or three due to her habits of late-night activities.   
Beatrice dragged herself out of bed and stretched sleepily. Christmas morning.   
She made her way down the dorm stairs, still in her oversized Christmas pajamas that Summers got her last year and smiled seeing Harriet and Summers in their usual spot sipping hot chocolate.   
Harriets eyes brightened when she saw Beatrice and Summers pulled the sleepy girl into a gleeful spinning hug.   
“Merry Christmas, Bee” Summers roared happily, planting a loving kiss on Beatrice’s cheek.   
“Merry Christmas, Summers” Beatrice smiled up at the beaming boy.   
Harriet stood next to the pair with mock annoyance to the lack of affection before the two taller students tackled the girl into the couch, sending the trio into fits of giggles.   
“Okay, okay” clapped Summers, “Presents, please” he held out his hands to the girls.   
“Your motives are corrupt, as always,” Beatrice said shaking her head, “Who says we even got you anything? Santa isn’t kind to naughty children”  
“Pish posh, Bee” Summers said waving his hands, “Your muggle tales don’t phase me, I only require material objects”  
Beatrice sighed and Harriet let out a twinkly laugh.   
The trio had ripped into their presents from each other. Harriet had gotten Beatrice paints, practical as ever, and Summers had bought her sugar quills, food-based as ever. Beatrice had always made a point of giving the pair muggle gifts, she loved the muggle part of her life and tried to embrace it as much as she could, she had given Harriet a cassette tape of the latest muggle songs and for Summers an etch a sketch, that mystified him immensely.   
“So, it's charmed to disappear?”  
“No, Summers” Beatrice explained exasperated, “They’re magnets”  
Summers narrowed his eyes at her before returning to play with the muggle toy. Harriet had already run off to play the cassettes, leaving Beatrice to open the last present from her parents.   
Beatrice already knew what it was. Some form of dress most likely. She tore open the paper to reveal the shimmery pale violet fabric. It was a slim fit gown that cascaded down the legs softly, her mother always knew how to pick the perfect dress.   
She smiled to herself gently, it was gorgeous for tonight.   
Summers had managed to find her a date who was surprisingly in the same boat as her, Terry Boot, a half-blood student like herself, who just wanted a girl to go with that wouldn’t expect any romance.   
The girls in Hufflepuff were scrambling everywhere, some had been up for hours primping and prepping for the ball that night, Beatrice had missed the memo on that one as she had slept in.   
……..  
Beatrice looked at herself in the mirror and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She had pulled her hair into a loose bun with strands framing her face, simple dark makeup to accentuate her soft features, and wore pretty drop earrings that Hannah had let her borrow.  
She awkwardly smoothed down the front of her dress and grabbed the small bag that slipped under her arm as she walked nervously out of the dorms. She wasn’t normally an anxious person but she never liked feeling singled out and her dress was one to make heads turn.   
At the bottom of the stairs, she spotted Harriet in a pretty halter neck yellow dress that ended just below her knees. It suited the short girl well and she had done pretty yellow makeup, truly embracing the Hufflepuff style.   
She also noticed the slight blush on Summers's face when he saw Harriet in her dress, running up to him to twirl and show it off. She smiled to herself and walked up to the pair.   
“Well, I believe our dates are waiting outside” announced Beatrice dramatically pulled the two to the door, “Summers please, do not get anyone pregnant, I am too young to be an aunt”  
She dodged Summers's hand playfully as he scowled at her.   
Summers had invited a pretty blonde Beauxbatons girl, Harriet and Beatrice hated to admit it but Summers was actually quite handsome. His blonde curls and boyish face made him popular with any girl who hadn’t had to put up with his snoring for years.   
The Great Hall felt more magical than usual as Beatrice stepped in amongst the chattering, it was brightly lit with twinkling lights, and the happiness radiating off every student dancing.   
Beatrice chuckled as she saw Hagrid and Madame Maxine dancing, happy that the kind man had found someone.   
It felt like Beatrice had danced all night, she had a few polite dances with Terry before he ran off to the broom cupboard with a dashing Durmstrang boy. Summers whisked her around the dance floor, earning them dirty looks as they span so hard, they fell to the ground giggling. She even coaxed a tipsy Professor Sprout into an upbeat waltz.   
“Surely, another dance m’ lady” laughed Summers bowing towards her.   
Beatrice grinned, “Harriet, tire him our for me, I need some fresh air” She flounced out of the hall onto the balcony where her nose itched at a familiar foul smell.   
Pansy stood in the rays of the moonlight, long black dress and her hair cascading down her back as she stared wistfully at the stars with a cigarette between her fingers.   
“Thought you hated muggles?” Beatrice peered around at the girl, making Pansy jump, “Here you are picking up one of their worst habits”  
Pansy scowled down at Beatrice, “Do you ever mind your own business?” she huffed, flicking the cigarette away from her.   
“Not if I can help it” Beatrice smiled, sitting on the ledge that loomed over the lake, “Shouldn’t you be dancing with Mr. Malfoy?”  
Pansy scoffed leaning down onto the ledge, “Draco might be my friend but he’s such a stiff dancer it’s like I can’t breathe.   
Beatrice looked down at the girl who glowed in the moonlight.   
“Why do you keep appearing around me, Mittal?” Pansy said, a sweet but sad look flashing over her face, “I’m a right prick to you and your friends”  
Beatrice looked up at the stars, “I don’t know” she admitted, “I always go to hate you in theory but you always seem so sad, I just can’t bring myself to do it”  
Pansy laughed bitterly, “I think we’ve definitely drunk too much of the Weasleys spiked punch”  
“That was spiked?” Beatrice said, shocked, “Oh god, Summers went hard on that”  
The pair sat in silence for a while, watching the moonlight hit Hogwarts, unsure of what to say.   
The muffled sound of the acoustic guitar began to play from the Hall and Beatrice's eyes lit up as she jumped off the ledge and spun on her heel with her hand out to Pansy.   
“Can you dance, Parkinson?”  
Pansy stared at her incredulously, “With you?”  
Beatrice grinned, eyes flashing, “I suppose if you think I’ll out dance you, you could always back down”  
“Don’t be ridiculous” Pansy took Beatrice’s hand and drew her in, one hand on her waist, “I learned to dance before I could walk”  
“See that’s the problem, Parkinson” Beatrice grinned as she began to spin the pair, “You only know how to dance properly, no wonder you’re so stuffy”  
Beatrice giggled as Pansy shrieked, the pair dragged each other around the balcony, leaping and spinning before they collapsed onto the ground, out of breath, laughing as the band played softly in the background.   
“Mum used to play this song for me when I was little” smiled Beatrice as she lay on her back staring into the sky, Pansy lying next to her, “She had a guitar and we would picnic by the stream as she sang”  
“Dad and I cannot sing” she added, “So we’d just play and dance in the water”  
“Sounds nice,” Pansy said wistfully.   
Beatrice glanced over at Pansy lying next to her, the moonlight always seemed to find her face first and her long dark lashes lazily looked up at the sky. Once again Beatrice found herself noticing how beautiful Pansy Parkinson was.   
She shook her head and felt her face redden, this punch was really


	6. Chapter 6

“God, what am I doing,” Beatrice thought to herself, blushing furiously, “I’m lying next to Pansy, thinking she’s beautiful? I need to snap out of this”

Pansy turned her head to Beatrice and as they stared at each other the world seemed to fade away and there was nothing but those two, their faces began to get closer and Beatrice could almost feel Pansy’s breath mingling with hers. 

“Harriet’s performing!” A drunk Summers stumbled onto the balcony and the girls snapped apart, “Bee, its Harry’s turn”

“Harry?” Pansy looked over at Beatrice. 

Beatrice smirked, “Come see”

The three walked into the Great Hall, the dancing and smiles enveloping Beatrice once again, she was back in the world.

An upbeat tune began to play, and Pansy’s eyes widened as she saw the small girl looking completely at ease with a microphone in her hand on the band stage. 

As she opened her mouth to sing her achingly beautiful tune, Beatrice could feel every inch of her body pulled towards Harriet, the rest of the crowd could feel it too, she had them completely under her spell. 

“And I’m the idiot with the painted face. In the corner taking up space. But when he walks in, I am loved, I am loved”

Harriet’s eyes seemed to long after someone hiding among the crowd, the emotion rippling through the room. Beatrice shivered as it passed by her, her eyes glazed. 

“Thank you, Miss Mitsky” Dumbledore eyes twinkled kindly as the song ended, “Your voice is enchanting as usual”

Harriet blushed and bounced over through the dazed crowd to Beatrice. 

“You were bloody brilliant, Harry” Summers ruffled her hair, “I swear that crowd was so weird though, I tried to get this guy to move and I swear he was under a spell, he wasn’t listening to a word I said”

Harriet shrugged with a small smile. 

“Oh god, don’t look now” Summers groaned and pointed to the figure approaching.

“Pansy, what are you doing with them” Draco Malfoy swaggered up, sneering as he looked them up and down, “Don’t tell me you’re friends with them”

Pansy faltered for a second before slipping into a cool façade, she scoffed, “Don’t even joke, I simply got caught up with the Hufflepuffs”

Beatrice blinked. What? 

Malfoy laughed cruelly and his posy sniggered, “Didn’t know the mute could sing” Blaise Zabini began tauntingly, “Wonder what else she can do” he looked Harriet up and down and Beatrice stepped in front   
of her protectively. 

“Fuck off, Zabini” Summers snarled beginning to take a step forward but he wasn’t steady on his feet, he slipped and fell to the ground, sending roars of laughter around the Slytherins. 

Beatrice’s eyes flashed as she saw Pansy snigger. This wasn’t a fairy tale, she was back on the ground, feet flat on the floor in a reality where Pansy wasn’t some sweet dancer in the moonlight, she was a bitch. 

She pulled Summers to his feet and he leaned on Harriet as Beatrice stood in front of the pair. 

“Don’t you have some little blood cult to run off to?” Beatrice snarled at the Slytherins, “Any innocent people to torture, or do you have nothing better to do?”

Malfoy narrowed his eyes and stepped closer to her, “I don’t want to hear anything from the daughter of a filthy little blood traitor”

Beatrice leveled her gaze with his, “And I didn’t want to be hearing anything from the son of inbred racists, Malfoy but here we are”

He went to hit her but Zabini caught his arm and whispered something in his ear, drawing Draco's attention to the staring students. He smoothed down his suit and offered an arm to Pansy who took it with a simpering little smile. 

“Say bye to your friends, Darling” he smirked. 

Pansy looked straight into Beatrice’s eyes, “I have no friends here” she scoffed and lead the pack away from the trio. 

The ball was dying down after the incident and Beatrice helped, half dragged, Summers into bed and tucked a sleepy Harriet in. Most were in bed, some sleeping in the corridors, Hogwarts was quiet, all but Beatrice, who blankly looked into the fire in the Hufflepuff common room, bottle of firewhisky in one hand. 

Her makeup was smudged, and she had changed into Summers Quidditch jumper that swamped her, but smelt like her friends and that comforted her. 

Beatrice was hurt. Hurt over someone she barely knew. And that frustrated her, that she was sitting drinking over someone so ugly at heart. 

For a while there, she wondered what could have happed if Summers hadn’t stumbled onto the balcony.   
Where would her lips have fallen? She touched her mouth absentmindedly before snapping back to reality and taking a swig of her fire whiskey  
…………  
Class started up again and Beatrice buried herself into her work. She studied all day and painted all night, her energy had returned to her once again with the potions from Madame Pomfrey, but she secretly wished she could just fall into a deep sleep and not wake up until everything was right again. 

She sat in the Hufflepuff common room, potion book resting on the arm of the chair, and Dinah slept lazily in her lap. The kitten was around much more than the start of the year, she had gotten into one too many scraps with the owls and was nursing a cut paw. 

“Bee, you’re not even dressed” Summers rested his hand on Beatrice’s head, startling her from her studies. 

“Dressed?” Beatrice looked at him questioningly. 

“Valentine's day?” Summers said exasperated, “We were gonna all go to Hogsmeade and mock the couples?”

Beatrice sighed, “I think I may skip on that one, I have so much homework, Snape has it out for me”

Summers bent down to the girl’s level, “Are you sure it isn’t anything else?” he stared at her with a worried look in his eyes. 

Beatrice forced a smile weakly, “Yeah, just busy busy”

Summers frowned before standing back up, “Okay, I’ll get you some sweets while I’m down there” He glanced back before grabbing his coat and wandering out.

She heaved a sigh before slinking back into her chair, Dinah nudged her face affectionately. 

“Have you decided to be kind to me now?” Beatrice muttered, patting the kittens head, “You need to be more careful with your paws, its tiring to repair them all the time”

Dinah lazily opened an eye before closing it again, signaling that she wouldn’t take any notice.

Beatrice sat there for hours tiring over her homework, barely able to focus on the work in front of her. 

After a particularly boring essay on the properties of unicorns blood, she stood and stretched. 

“Mmm, shall we wander Dinah?” She said, yawning to the cat, who seemed to agree and leaped to her feet. 

The young witch and Dinah wandered down the sunny courtyard of Hogwarts, it was a lazy sort of day, quiet with students away and younger students sleeping in. The pair hopped along the stone pathway and stopped in front of an open classroom. The white lady’s classroom. 

She was in her normal position staring out the window sadly. Dinah wandered up to the painting and pawed at it, frustrated. 

“Dinah!” scolded Beatrice, “The portraits don’t like it when you touch them” She looked up apologetically at the woman, “I’m sorry, I hope we didn’t disturb you”

The woman did not stir, she ignored the two and continued to stare out the window aimlessly

“Hello?” Beatrice frowned waving at the painting, “Can you hear me?”

No response.

“That’s odd, maybe she’s deaf?” Beatrice muttered to herself looking at the woman, she had never seen the lady talk to anyone, portraits, or students.

“Miss Mittal” A sharp voice rang out making Beatrice jump, “Could you explain to me what you’re doing in my classroom?” Professor Binns was floating in the doorway with a dark look on his face. 

“I’m sorry sir” Beatrice began, “I was just following my cat” She went to motion to Dinah, but the cat was nowhere to be seen. She silently cursed. 

“I suggest you follow your imaginary cat elsewhere,” Professor Bins said gesturing to the door. 

“Yes sir” Beatrice flushed red as she scrambled to get out of the classroom. 

As she walked turned to walk down the corridor, she could’ve sworn the lady looked away from her window to the Professor, but the door slammed shut in her face. 

“What in the world?”


	7. Chapter Seven

“They know we literally can’t see shit, right?” Summers said deadpan, leaning back in his seat. 

“Shut up, Summers” Beatrice opened one eye, “At least enjoy the sun and time off class”

Harriet nodded, looking up from her book. 

The trio were watching the second task take place, they had meant to be cheering Cedric and Harry on but had gotten very bored waiting around with nothing to do but laze in the sun. 

“Mmf-what am I missing-mm?” A gangly boy spewed crumbs and sat down in the empty seat next to   
Beatrice, stuffing a pumpkin pie into his mouth. 

Beatrice wrinkled her nose in disgust, “Thom, please keep your pie in your mouth” she grumbled brushing crumbs off her lap, “We don’t know, can’t see anything”

Thomas Greeves was an older Hufflepuff student who had seemed to glue himself to the trio in the past weeks. Originally he had engaged in an enthusiastic conversation with Summers about quidditch but had taken that as an invitation to never leave them alone again. It wasn’t that Thom annoyed them but he had such a tendency to be clumsy and ill-fated, the more time you spent with him, the more likely damage was to come to you. 

Beatrice had already been victim to clumsiness her whole life but Thom’s was on a whole new level, he   
fell up steps, never seemed to have his tie done up properly and constantly spilled food on homework, books and once, Dinah, who retaliated by eating his pet rat. 

That was a sad day to be a rat. 

But Thomas wasn’t fazed, he just seemed to be happy to be in their presence even if the three were rather begrudging and hid their breakable items when he was around. 

“Bean?” offered Thom innocently, his eyes wide behind his sweet round frames. 

Beatrice grinned and took one and put it in her mouth. Her face contorted into a grimace as she spat it out. 

“Why do I always get pepper?” She whined, crossing her arms as the others laughed. 

Summers reached over her and put one in his mouth and grabbed one for Harriet too, “Better than overcooked cabbage” he shuddered at the memory before smiling, “Brilliant! Strawberry ice cream” he chewed happily. Next to him Harriet spat out hers and scowled at it. 

“What flavour was it, Harry?” Thomas asked Harriet, curiously. The trio stared at him, “Oh yeah”

Harriet could talk. She wasn’t mute, in fact, back when she did talk, her voice was as sweet as honey and entangled anyone who was near her. That was the problem. 

Beatrice glanced over at the girl, at first look you wouldn’t think she had siren blood, hell you wouldn’t be able to tell at your hundredth. 

She had figured it out in their first year at Hogwarts, she and Summers were already thick as thieves, their mothers had been at Hogwarts together so the pair were practically siblings. Harriet on the other hand was the outsider, she was a small mousy girl who seemed swamped in her uniform. It had started when Harriet seemed to do less work than anyone else. 

“I swear, I’ve never seen her study” hissed an eleven-year-old Summers, sitting in the library across from Beatrice who was twirling a quill between her fingers absentmindedly. 

“To be fair Summers, I’ve never seen you study either” Beatrice reminded the boy putting down her quill, “You have to stop staring at her, you’re creeping everyone out”

Summers threw his quill at the girl and was quickly stopped by Madame Pince who hissed loudly at the boy. Beatrice stifled her giggles. 

“I swear I’m going to figure out how she’s doing it” whispered Summers from behind his book shield from the angry librarian, “I want in”

For the next month, the pair had followed Harriet everywhere she went. The girl didn’t seem to have many routines to her day, she flittered about the castle like a free spirit. This annoyed Summers greatly. 

He had made it his personal mission, Beatrice was just there for the entertainment. Until one day something seemed off. 

“We’re not going to follow her anymore” announced Summers at lunch.

Beatrice raised an eyebrow, looking up from her book, “Why? Did we discover her secret? What is it? Is she Professor Sprout's secret daughter?”

A student next to her choked. 

Summers scrunched up his face, “No I’ve just decided not to” He continued to eat quietly to the incredulous surprise of Beatrice. 

“You” She began slowly, “You’ve just decided not to after we spent weeks tailing her”

Summers shrugged. This was not normal. 

Beatrice looked at him worriedly, Summers was not fickle, he was stubborn and most of all he did not do things without explanation, or at least not telling Beatrice why. 

“Did you hit your head on the way from potions?” she demanded, slamming her hands down on the table to the shock of the other students “What in the world would make-“ She stopped mid-sentence as she spotted a small Harriet eying her nervously from the exit and slipping behind the wooden doors. 

“You have got to be kidding me” She muttered, she pointed menacingly at Summers, “Do not go anywhere unless you have a death wish”

She got up and tailed the girl, Harriet slipped into a classroom, Beatrice followed. There was no one in the room apart from those two. 

“What did you do to Summers,” Beatrice said, her chin held high, she would not let this girl bewitch her best friend and get away with it, “Don’t even try to play innocent” she squinted at Harriet, “I saw you watching us”

Harriet stood there in silence, shuffling her feet. 

“Well? What potion did you use, we’re only first years, did someone help you?” Beatrice approached the girl menacingly, “He’s been tailing you for weeks”

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you” cried Harriet suddenly, looking up with soft doe-like eyes. 

“We literally go to a school for witches and wizards,” Beatrice said deadpan, “I doubt there’s much you could say to make me dubious”

“Shit!” A voice broke Beatrice from her remission, Cedric had emerged from the lake with a drenched Cho Chang in tow. 

Swarms attacked the two, wrapping the pair in towels. 

“They had people down there?” Beatrice said, horrified. They had jumped out of their seats to get a better view.

Harriet had her hand to her mouth and Thom looked like he was going green. 

“Jesus” muttered Summers, “Who else is down there?”

They watched gingerly as champions pulled people out of the water, Victor came second with a very red Hermione Granger and Harry with Ron and a little girl who fell into the arms of Fleur. 

Harry had played hero again and had waited for all the champions to come in fear of them drowning. 

Summers scoffed, “As if old Dumbledore would let them drown”

“Yeah, honestly he isn’t senile,” Thom added, “Yet,” he said thoughtfully. 

“Well, I think it was pretty brave,” said Beatrice, cocking her head to the side, “Incredibly stupid, but sweet as well”

Thom raised his eyebrows, “Developing a thing for the Chosen One, bumblebee?” he said teasingly.

Beatrice cringed at the use of her childhood nickname coming from him, but politely ignored it and playfully shoved him, “C’mon Thom, he not particularly my type”

……………

“Miss Mittal, I’m afraid you’re going to have to change your grades” barked Professor Moody, his eye swinging about wildly. 

Beatrice shrunk timidly under the Professor’s scrutiny. She was standing in his office, anxiously hoping the floor would swallow her whole. Unfortunately, the blasted wood didn’t seem to be budging and she was still getting lectured about her grades. 

Defence against the Dark arts had always been her worst subject, it could have had something to do with the fact that they all seemed to be evil, blonde or werewolves. Although, in Professor Lupins defence, he did manage to teach her the most. But it wasn’t any of that. She simply hated it. 

Everything about it made her shudder, boggarts, jinxes, duelling, if you could name it, Beatrice would stay well away from it. The whole subject just freaked her out, the less she had to think about possible impending doom from unknown forces, the better. 

“I’m much too busy to deal with your grades, continued Moody, “With the tournament of course”

“Great for my education, sir,” thought Beatrice gingerly 

“So, I’ve decided to get one of the higher achieving students to tutor you between class” his eye focused directly on her, “Parkinson!” he barked, “Get in here”

Beatrice paled and her heart dropped to her feet. 

The two girls looked at each other awkwardly, Moody hadn’t seemed to notice the tension or at least chose to ignore It. 

“Parkinson, I expect you to tutor Mittal here,” his eye narrowed, “And I’ll forget about that nasty little incident of yours”

Pansy looked away guiltily. 

“Right, you can work here tonight but I expect that you meet up on your own after this” he stalked off, 

“No fighting while I’m gone” And like that, he vanished out the door. 

Beatrice prayed for him to come back, that there was a mistake and that she didn’t have to simper over spells with Pansy Parkinson. 

“Should we?” Pansy started, gesturing to the uncomfortable looking table, almost as uncomfortable as Beatrice was feeling. 

“Yeah, I guess” she replied noncommittally, she would not let Parkinson think she was fazed, “I am not going to break that easily,” she thought fiercely 

“So, what do you know about the Unforgivables?” began Pansy delicately. 

“He covered them in class,” Beatrice said deadpan, “I’m struggling with the stuff we get tested on, the actual legal stuff” she added bitterly. 

“He’s just trying to show us the real stuff” began Pansy defensively, “We need to know those spells”

Beatrice narrowed her eyes, “What the hell do fifteen-year old’s need with the godamn killing curse, Parkinson”

Pansy cringed, “I didn’t mean it like that, I just-“

“Yeah sure, Parkinson” sneered Beatrice, “And I’m sure you didn’t mean to be a prat at the Yule Ball either?”

Pansy looked at a loss for words. 

“I’d rather fail than spend another second here” Beatrice scowled and gathered her books clumsily. 

“Mittal, wait!”

Beatrice ignored the calls of Pansy from behind her, her chest hurt and she could feel angry tears burning at her eyes. 

She had gotten too worked up in the moment and let her anger envelop her, now the anger was turning into the next best thing. Regret and sadness. 

She flew through the corridors, desperately trying to ignore her emotions. 

“Stupid, stupid Parkinson and her stupid face,” thought Beatrice crossly, “How dare she make me so worked up, I absolutely will not be annoyed by this”

She didn’t seem to be taking her own advice. 

Beatrice flung herself into the nearest classroom she could find, dramatically collapsing onto the table and heaving a long sigh. 

“Miss Mittal, looking for that cat again I suppose?”


	8. Chapter Eight

For the second time that day, Beatrice found herself under the harsh glare of one of her professors. Binns floated in the entryway of the door, his translucent arms crossed firmly across his chest and his lips were tight in a thin unamused line. He faltered slightly at the sight of the Hufflepuff girls blotchy face, even a blind first year could tell she was about to burst into tears. 

“Care to explain to me why you’re in my classroom once again, Miss Mittal?” He raised a brow. 

“I- Uh-“Beatrice stuttered and stumbled over her words, trying to conjure up a plausible excuse. She wasn’t helping her case. 

“Please stop your mumbling, Miss Mittal” Binns sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He floated over to his desk and pulled a dusty jar out from the drawer”

“I’m sorry sir, I was studying, there was Parkin- Well, a student I disagreed with and it was tutoring. I’m uh failing Dada and Moody isn’t helping-“Beatrice rambled, words gushing out of her mouth as if she had been bottled up for the day. 

Binns waved his hand around, motioning for silence, “Miss Mittal, I have been dead a few hundred years but you are reminding me what a headache feels like”

Beatrice’s mouth snapped shut, her eyes wide and hands firmly clasped in her lap.

Binns offered her the dusty jar. Beatrice peered into it warily. 

“They’re sweets, Miss Mittal” drawled Binns, “I can assure you, they’re fine” He paused, “Possibly a little old. Fifty years or so”

Beatrice gingerly picked what she assumed must have once been a blackcurrant sweet and popped it in her mouth, despite the appearance, the sweet was well in date, pleasantly melting in her mouth. 

“You look as if you have been kicked, I supposed the sweet may take your mind off that, crying in my classroom would be most inconvenient” He wrinkled his nose disdainfully, “Now. Please explain to me your dramatics. Slowly”

She heaved a sigh, slightly touched at the grouchy professor's concern, “An argument. With Pansy Parkinson”

Binns closed his eyes, a smile played at his lips as he seemed to reminisce, “Ah yes, Miss Parkinson” He opened his eyes, “Seems like only yesterday her mother sat in this very room, a marvelous student”

Beatrice gave him a look, wondering if he heard her saying she argued with Pansy over his Slytherin pride. 

“Pray tell what this argument was about?” He said inquiringly.

“The unforgivables, and whether or not to use them”

He closed his eyes and nodded in thought, “Undoubtably adopting her father’s views, I remember him well too” His face darkened, “Perhaps not as fondly as Violet”

“Atticus was always drawn to the power of the dark arts, I suppose he longed for the superiority and prestige that his father had” He mused on this thought, “Violet was far different, however”

“While Atticus strived for power, Violet strived for justice” He chuckled, “She was my best history student, determined to learn from the wizarding worlds past mistakes and create a better community, a true egalitarian”

“Watching her debate was truly breathtaking, she was beautiful but when she opened her mouth to passionately fight, no one could tear their eyes off her” He smiled sadly, “She would’ve profoundly changed the world”

“Would’ve, sir?” Beatrice asked, her eyes curious. 

“She passed a while back, private funeral, I wish I could’ve paid my respects” He looked off into the distance, “The younger Miss Parkinson grew up without her, I believe, she would’ve been very different with Violets fire”

A weight heaved on Beatrice, the idea of a young Pansy growing up along tugged at her heartstrings. Her anger washed away, and it was replaced by an ache for the Slytherin girl 

“Beatrice get a hold of yourself” A voice hissed in her head, “Shitty childhoods do not make up for shitty actions”

She always did this. She would forgive someone the minute someone provided an excuse, an infamous Hufflepuff trait that had dubbed them the ‘pushover’ house. She determinedly clenched her teeth; she would not forgive until she received a proper apology. 

“No matter how many times you picture her sad face?” The voice said again, more sympathetically this time. 

“Shut up, you’re so bloody fickle” Beatrice muttered to herself. 

Binns seemed to break from his musing, “Miss Parkinson is quite a misguided young girl, she has adopted her father's tendency to crave validation from those she admires” He paused, “You, however, you remind me of Violet, I believe Miss Parkinson would benefit greatly from your presence.” He gave her a pointed look 

A crease formed in Beatrice brow, “I don’t remember Binns forming the Pansy Fanclub” She thought to herself bitterly, not reassured 

“I know that’s probably not the reassurance you wanted” He continued 

“He’s bloody psychic”

“But I can assure you, Miss Parkinson feels as frustrated as you do right now, possibly regretting her choice of words” He adjusted his coat, “Now please will you continue this episode in someone else’s classroom, I have a nap to attend to”

Beatrice got up hurriedly and tottered over to the door. She hesitated before turning around. 

“Sir, can I ask you something?”

“Yes, Miss Mittal” He looked up.

“Who’s the lady in the painting?” She pointed to the white lady. 

He froze for a second before quickly composing himself, “I believe you should be on your way, Miss Mittal” He gave a warning look. 

Beatrice took the hint and dashed around the door. She skidded to a halt before running back to the classroom. 

“Sir?”

“Yes, Miss Mittal?” He said irritated at the young girl who deemed it necessary to be a pain in his- 

“Thank you” She smiled warmly before dashing back out the room. 

“That seemed to catch him off guard” Beatrice snickered to herself making a mental note of Binns shocked face. 

She practically skipped back to the common room, humming to herself, her bad news not even hitting her until she sat down to finally study”

“Fuck, I’m failing dada” 

………………..

“My legs are so bloody sore” complained Beatrice out loud to Rodrick.

“Don’t rub it in Beatrice, I’d give anything to feel my legs” retorted the painting sullenly, “They were chomped clean off by that blasted lion”

Beatrice was, again, at the top of the Astronomy tower, covered in paint and bickering with Rodrick like ten-year old’s.

“I’m serious Rodrick, this school is all stairs” Beatrice grumbled rubbing her sore spots, “Would it kill Dumbledore to add escalators?”

“What is an ‘es-cal-a-tor?” inquired Rodrick wrinkling his nose. 

“Like stairs but they do the moving for you” explained Beatrice, “Another muggle invention”

“Disgraceful!” Rodrick said loudly causing sleeping portraits to wake suddenly, “Back in my day-“

He was met with groans and heckling from the grumpy paintings, obviously deprived of sleep from his long anti-modern rants. 

“Traitors, the lot of them, if I were alive, I’d tear them to shreds” muttered Rodrick under his breath, crossing his arms like an angry child. 

Beatrice laughed, she felt like things were at peace once again. Being back with the portraits made her calm, cleared her head, she was more reasonable and less likely to fall into slightly ridiculous hysterics. 

“Beatrice, I looked into that portrait for you,” said a warm voice, the motherly figure of Belinda the Kind walked into Rodrick’s frame, “I’m afraid we reached a dead end, her frame doesn’t even exist in the portrait world here” 

The Hogwarts portrait world was a separate realm to the one that the students inhabited, it was home to all the paintings of the castle. Portraits could interact with one another and enter different frames, often you would find the wrong portrait in a painting who had lost their way. 

Beatrice wrinkled her nose in confusion, “I’m sure she’s a wizarding portrait, I’ve seen her move and everything, are you quite sure Belinda?” 

“Yes, dearie, I asked the dashing elven man on the fourth floor” She blushed deeply, “Such lovely blonde hair” 

Rodrick snorted, “Don’t be fooled Lady Belinda, they’re snobby little men” he huffed, “I have lost many a duel to their tortuous cheating ways” 

“I doubt they cheated with your skillset” Beatrice raised her eyebrows at him, “You aren’t exactly famed for your conflict skills” 

“Well I never, you are ridiculous-I” he continued outraged, muttering things about ‘young ladies’ and ‘no respect’ 

Belinda gave Beatrice a sympathetic look, “I can’t think of a reason we couldn’t reach them dearie” she said thoughtfully, “But you’d have to ask a painting more well versed on this than I” 

“Thanks, Belinda” Beatrice said appreciatively, sending a smile to the woman. 

“So, the portraits knew nothing,” Beatrice thought to herself, for the past two weeks since her interaction with Binns, she had asked nearly every portrait she knew about the white lady and why she wouldn’t interact with anyone. Hell, she hadn’t even seen her talk to other paintings. 

“She’s back again” hissed Rodrick who had calmed down significantly. Beatrice peered over the railing to the shadowy figure. 

Almost every night, without fail, the figure had come to sit at the bottom of the astronomy tower. They were too far down for Beatrice to figure out what they were doing but provided an unwelcome interruption to Beatrice’s daily routine. She had to be more careful and quieter with her painting and any brush that she dropped to the bottom was gone until the next morning. 

It wasn’t until Beatrice tried to leave that night things really began to move along. 

She padded down the hidden staircase with her paint box, humming a quiet tune to herself. Suddenly, the ground slipped out from underneath herself and she was loudly crashing down. 

“Fuck!” she loudly groaned, holding her knee that had smashed into the stone floor. 

“Who’s there?” A panicked voice came from the tower. 

Beatrice was well enough hidden by the passageway, but her voice would most definitely give her up, she couldn’t risk not answering and the person coming to find her little secret. She contorted her face and winced as she tried to remember her aunt’s thick Irish accent. 

“None of your business, student” she replied awkwardly in a passable imitation of her aunt, “I should ask the same of you”

The student seemed to pause for a minute to think, “I suppose that’s fair” they replied thoughtfully, “But I’d rather not say my name either” 

“Why is that voice so familiar?” Beatrice wrinkled her nose at tried to put a face to the voice. She drew a blank. 

“Are you a student too?” The voice persisted, “You don’t sound from here” 

“I-Uh” Beatrice fumbled for an explanation, she conjured up her Aunts haughty voice once again, “I am a portrait of Hogwarts, Rolanda the Sumptuous?” It sounded more like a question than a fact but the student seemed to believe it. 

“I see, I can’t see you anywhere? Are you hidden?” 

“So many bloody questions” Beatrice or rather, Rolanda, grumbled under her breath, “My child, I am hidden, do don’t bother trying to find wee ol me” 

“Bugger, was wee Scottish or Irish?” 

The student didn’t seem to have any knowledge of Scottish or Irish mannerisms and ignored it, “Why are you hidden?” they pressed, “I’ve never heard of a hidden portrait” 

“Well now you have” snapped Beatrice, irritated, she was not a bloody book. Maybe the late nights were taking a toll on her Hufflepuff patience. 

“I hope you tell me your story,” The student said wistfully, “I’ve been listening to all the portraits talk, it good conversation” 

Beatrice was taken aback, not many students spoke to all portraits, they mostly ignored them, “Well” she continued carefully, “I suppose I will tell you one day” 

“Not now though” Beatrice added hastily, “I have far too many other things to do”

“Good night, Rolanda” 

“Who? Oh yes-uh, Goodnight” Beatrice practically ran out of the passageway to the common room. 

“Who on earth was that,” she thought as she tucked herself into bed, “And why can’t they take a bloody hint”


	9. Chapter Nine

The world seemed to stand still, deafening silence coated Hogwarts. And then came the chaos. 

All Beatrice could hear was ringing in her ears, she could vaguely see Harriet’s shaking sobs and Summer angrily yelling out of the corner of her eye but she paid them no attention. Her eyes were fixed on the corpse of Cedric Diggory. 

How did she get here? All she thought would happen today was a few broken noses, they would probably see Harry and Cedric emerge from the maze, arms slung around each other, laughing like brothers. They felt untouchable, to her it felt like nothing could touch the students from inside the safety of the Hogwarts walls. But Harry, who was gently cradling Cedrics’ head proved her wrong 

Harry was pulled away but she still stared at the body.

Amos Diggory had run down the steps to his boy. 

“I think that was his only son” A little voice in Beatrice’s head whispered. 

Numbly, Beatrice let a few tears slip down her cheek. 

Fights had broken out between students, professors ran about trying to keep the peace, Sprout had crumpled to the floor, Hannah Abbot comforting her while fighting to keep back her own tears. 

“You could fix that” The voice reached out again. 

“No, I couldn’t” Beatrice whispered breathily, “Not the way Cedric would’ve wanted”

She slumped to the floor, absentmindedly hugging Harriet, Summers sunk into the pair and the trio just sat there in silence.

The world could’ve ended that day and the students of Hogwarts wouldn’t’ve even noticed; their grief smothered them. Not a mandrake cried.

When Beatrice looked up, a week had passed. She wasn’t living, just breathing. Eyebags were prominent in the Hufflepuff common room, dreamless sleep potions were taken every night, no one had sat in the armchair where Cedric spent his Saturday mornings. 

Dumbledore had made his speech at the Feast; it had been in memorial to Cedric. The work of Voldemort, he had said, another wizarding war upon us. She had stared at the first years most of the time, they were just children, Cedric was a child, she was just a child. Children who would probably die for a cause that would just come back in another ten years, isn’t that what happened last time? 

But now their hopes lay on the scrawny shoulders of Harry Potter? A fifteen-year-old boy? Beatrice remembered when his robes were slightly too big and his toothy smile that he seemed to wear as a mask nowadays. This wasn’t fair. War wasn’t fair. Not to the children who had to fight it. 

………..

“Wake up, love” The sweet voice of Susan rang out from the kitchen, “I made bacon and eggs” 

Beatrice groaned in response. She was back in the safety of her bed in the Mittal cottage. Her little attic bedroom had been cleaned approximately too many times in the time that Beatrice had been gone, a result of Farhan having empty nest syndrome. 

Beatrice’s bedroom was something she was quite proud of; she had hung colorful tapestries from the ceiling and rugs littered every edge of the floor. Plants had crept their way up the walls and an antique bed stood in the corner covered in quilts and various garments of clothes. 

She sleepily climbed down the ladder to the smell of bacon. 

“Feeling any better this morning?” Susan almost tiptoed around Beatrice. 

It had been like this ever since she had gotten back. She hadn’t known Cedric personally, but she couldn’t get the image of his corpse out of her head.

“And what you could’ve done?” 

Beatrice shook her head grumpily, she really needed to get some form of therapy, maybe from Dr. stop-thinking-weird-fucking-thoughts. 

“Yeah, I suppose,” She fiddled with the bacon on her plate, “Where’s dad?” 

Susan took off her apron and sat down in the seat across from Beatrice, “He’s helping the movers up at the estate”

Beatrice stared at her, “Someone’s seriously moved into that crumbling hellhole?” 

“Beatrice!” scolded Susan, “It’s a charming crumbling hellhole”

“Hopefully, these neighbors will stick around longer than the last ones” She added sighing, “I thought the muggles would like a nice letter, how was I supposed to know they didn’t like birds? Why would you move to the countryside if you didn’t like birds?” 

“Mum, I think more the breaking point was that the owl dropped the letter in that old ladies soup and then harassed them waiting for a tip” Beatrice snorted at her mother's attempts at friendship, “Plus muggles use email to talk to each other and the telephone” 

Susan glared in disdain to the telephone in the corner, “I refuse to touch that devil box, it's bad enough your father insisted we get one” 

“Imagine how I felt when you made me talk to your mother through that strange fireplace,” Farhal said grinning, closing the front door from behind him. 

Beatrice grinned back at him and he took a seat at the table. 

“So, what’s the verdict on the new neighbors?” Beatrice said through mouthfuls of egg.

“Interestingly enough, wizards,” Farhal said, sighing, “That friend of yours, Susan dear, was helping with the move, he recognized me and told me all about them” 

Susan nodded a satisfied smile on her face, happy that her strange gossip sources were coming in handy. 

“An old family, I think that’s a wizarding thing” Farhal continued, “And a girl who’s Beatrice’s age”

Susan squealed, “That’s lovely news, darling, maybe they go to Hogwarts?” 

“Maybe” Beatrice shrugged, “I don’t think I know anyone from old wizarding family’s apart from Summers and if he was moving here, he would’ve made it very clear”

Farhal wrinkled his forehead, “Which family is he from, dear?” 

“The Summers Family” Beatrice responded messily.

“I thought his first name was Summers?” 

“Absolutely not, he refuses to use his first name” 

“It can’t be that bad” 

“It is” Beatrice responded gravely, “We’re forbidden from using it, a Slytherin tried once, he was never heard from again” She stood up cheerily, in a much better mood than she had woken up in. She popped her plate in the sink and climbed back up the ladder. 

She needed some fresh air.

“I’m going to the stream” She yelled from her room 

………………

The stream was Beatrice’s haven, she had probably painted every inch of it. She knew every squirrel, tree trunk, and fish that resided there. It was a secret pocket of the countryside with a few streams of sunshine that trickled through the trees. When she was younger, she had read about a magical wood filled with all sorts of funny elves and creatures that lived around a big tree. She liked to pretend that her woods were magical and in a way they were. 

The stream lead separated the estate from the cottage, both were hidden from one another, Susan had charmed the trees that way so prying neighbors wouldn’t figure out their secret. The estate was supposedly charming in its own way. It was a lumbering cobblestone thing that seemed one bad storm from crashing down, its only redeeming feature was the ivy that climbed up it, giving it a bittersweet aura. 

Beatrice had decided to lie down in the streams of sunshine near the stream while watching Dinah attack the overgrown grass, her lifelong battle she was not winning. 

“And that’s another point for the grass” Beatrice announced dramatically as Dinah tumbled headfirst from her leap. 

The cat seemed to scowl at Beatrice before resuming tearing at the poor local flora. 

“Honestly, Dinah” Beatrice continued, closing her eyes and lying back in the grass, “What on earth did that plant do to you” 

“It seems like a pretty worthy enemy to me” 

Beatrice’s eyes shot open. She scrambled to her feet and glared at Pansy who stood on the other side of the stream. 

“Morning” Pansy waved awkwardly. 

“What are you doing by my stream?” Beatrice demanded indignantly, looking the girl up and down. Pansy looked different in an oversized flannel and band top; her hair pinned up into a lazy ponytail. She almost looked relaxed. 

“Technically, this is my side of the stream,” said Pansy her eyes narrowing, “My father and I moved into the house up there” She pointed to the estate. 

The blood drained out of Beatrice’s face, “You? You, moved to the countryside?” She gaped, “You know there’s dirt here? And you don’t even like muggles, why live near them? Don’t you have some creepy wizarding cult to live in?” 

Pansy stared at her, “No, Mittal, sorry it was all booked out for the weekend” she said sarcastically, “And I won’t have to spend much time outside, my house is plenty big” 

Beatrice snorted, “Have fun with that big house when the roof is leaking, everyone knows that house is one bad storm away from becoming rumble” 

“Magic is a wonderful thing, Mittal,” Pansy said smugly, “For those of us proficient enough to use it, that is”   
Beatrice grumbled gathering Dinah up into her arms and began to stomp back to her house. 

“Where are you going, Mittal?” 

“Home, away from you” 

“You do know you have dirt on your ass” 

“I happen tO LIKE IT THERE”


	10. Chapter Ten

Beatrice peered over the windowsill cautiously. From where she crouched, she could see Pansy reading on the grassy banks. It had been two days since the horrifying fact that Pansy Parkinson, biggest Slytherin bitch, was her next-door neighbor. 

Pansy’s relaxed demeanor seemed to taunt Beatrice as if she was rubbing it in her face that her haven was now overtaken. Her hair blew in the breeze and she lounged without a care in the world. 

Beatrice huffed a strand of her own sweaty hair out of her face, she had been spying on her for a while and it was beginning to take its toll. Dinah lazily jumped onto the windowsill, waving her tail around right under Beatrice’s nose. 

“Dinah, Dinah don’t please” Beatrice hissed but it was too late, “Ah-Ah-Choo!” She crashed to the floor and Dinah licked her paw innocently. 

“You’re supposed to be my friend” Beatrice scowled at the cat, “But you seem to live to plot against me” 

Dinah didn’t respond, she simply turned her head and jumped out the window. 

Even Dinah seemed to be interested in Pansy, she’d often leave the house to go sleep on the banks or play with the girl, much to Beatrice’s disappointment as an owner. 

“Highest form of treason” muttered Beatrice as she brushed the dirt off her overalls. 

“I think that was Dinah’s way of saying to go talk to the girl instead of stalking her”

Beatrice jumped and turned to see Farhan sitting in his armchair with an amused look on his face. 

“I am not stalking her,” said Beatrice indignantly, “She’s seriously bad news Dad” 

Farhan raised an eyebrow, “Ah so you know this girl? What’s so bad?” 

Beatrice trudged over to the loveseat and stretched out dramatically, “She’s a bully and stuck up, prejudiced, did I mention really mean?” She listed on her fingers, “Oh! And she doesn’t like my hot cocoa?” 

“The hot cocoa was the final straw?” 

“Yes- No!” 

Farhan mused over this information for a minute, “I agree she does sound like bad news, especially the hot coca part, you were never one to be friends with bullies” he chuckled, “Do you remember when you were five? Your first day of school, an older kid was demanding the chocolates from the smaller students. You would not stand for it, you attacked them with your tiny fists and your mother, and I had to pick you up. You raved all the way home.”

“Violence of course should never be the answer, but you were just so angry. We had to have a meeting with the students’ parents and they were the rudest people we had ever met, even their kid was scared and ashamed of them. After that meeting you went up to the kid and gave them half of your chocolate, I don’t think they bullied anyone after that” Farhan smiled gently. 

“Why did you tell me that Dad?” asked Beatrice, confused. 

Farhan laughed, “The kid had awful parents, explaining why he was bullying others, he felt helpless at home so at school he bullied. You felt sorry for him but instead of giving him what he wanted, you shared it between the pair of you, you were good like that.” He paused for a minute, “I’m not saying this Pansy deserves everything after doing awful things but let her redeem herself, love, help her find the space from whatever’s causing this behavior and let her grow”

He continued, “Most importantly, don’t think that you can change her, she has to do that on her own, but you can help her see what’s wrong, she may even help you see your own faults” 

Beatrice gaped at him, “Dad” she said slowly, “Where on earth did that come from?” 

Farhan smiled smugly, “I was a therapist in another life, love, Dr. Cool” 

“No, please stop” 

“Daddy Cool”

“This is child abuse” 

…………………

Farhan’s advice weighed on Beatrice’s mind. Her parents always seemed to have the answers to most of her teenage questions, wizarding world or typical muggle girl overwise. 

Pansy did seem like the type to heavily compensate with bullying, then again, she also seemed like the type to burn ants for fun. 

She twiddled a piece of straw between her fingers, she had decided to sit in the sunshine at the front of the cottage on the quaint white chairs that practically screamed British wedding gift. As she was about to muse the possibilities of turning Pansy into a toad she heard a deafening scream from the bank. 

Wand in hand, one shoe on, Beatrice half ran, half fell down the hill that lead to the stream. She could see Pansy soaked, leaning over some small animal. Dinah. 

“Mittal, she fell in, I swear, I thought it wasn’t deep” Pansy was crying, trying to shake some life into the unconscious kitten, “She’s not breathing, I can’t find a pulse”

Beatrice bit her lip and gathered up Dinah, silently and quickly. 

“What do you want me to do, I left my wand, I can run for your dad?” Pansy was panicking, Beatrice could hear her quick, shallow breathing. 

“Parkinson,” Beatrice said sharply, “Breath” 

Pansy gave her a wide-eyed look before breathing in deeply. 

“Better?” 

“Yeah,” Pansy said in a small voice. 

“Hurry up then” Beatrice strode up the hill cradling the kitten with Pansy anxiously following. 

Both Beatrice’s parents were at the market, gone for at least an hour. She cursed under her breath before rummaging through the cupboards, cat in one hand, wand shoved in her ponytail. 

“Stay there” Beatrice instructed to a worried Pansy who fiddled on Farhan’s armchair. 

Beatrice climbed up the bedroom ladder cautiously and pulled her table over to the center of the room. She placed Dinah down among various potions and got to work. 

“Been a while since we did this” 

“Shut up” Beatrice muttered under her breath. 

She inhaled deeply and whispered a short incantation. 

Beatrice grinned down at the kitten, “You’re stuck with me forever remember? You really to be more careful with my stitch work though, you’re not exactly alive anymore” 

A small meow responded. 

“Is everything okay??” Pansy’s anxious voice echoed from down below. 

Beatrice and Dinah gave each other a look, “Yeah, all good” called Beatrice, scrambling to put away her potions. 

She climbed down the ladder with Dinah in tow. 

“Just a bit of water, she’s fine” Beatrice grinned awkwardly pointing to the very much moving cat. 

Pansy’s brow furrowed, “But- I- I checked her pulse, she wasn’t breathing” She bent down to examine the cat, “She wasn’t alive- How did you?” 

Beatrice shrugged, “Honestly Parkinson, with the state you’re in, you probably didn’t feel the right place, you should head home? Take a nap?

Pansy narrowed her eyes and drew herself up to her full length, “I know what I felt Mittal and that cat wasn’t alive” 

“Freak accident?”


	11. Chapter Eleven

The frazzled girl breathed a sigh of relief, Pansy was not one to let things go, that was certain.  
Just as Pansy was getting suspicious, the elder Mittal’s had burst in from the market to rescue their daughter. Susan, noticing the tension in the room, made up some quick lie about a third cousin and had quickly ushered Pansy out of the room before the Slytherin could even react.   
Difficult questions were something Beatrice had gotten used to diving around, not that she was any better with her practise. It was always the same, ‘Why does your cat never grow?” “Why are you always so tired?” “Are you sure that cat is the same one?”   
So, she practiced a bit of necromancy? What was the harm in being slightly too attached to pets? Apart from the numerous serious Ministry laws that would throw her straight into Azkaban probably along with her parents. Maybe they’d set up a little cat cell for Dinah too.   
The problem wasn’t that Beatrice was practising necromancy (although that would be the cause) it was that she was scary good at it. She had raw talent, raw talent at dark and outlawed magic, which sucked for her because she didn’t seem to be brilliant at light magic.   
It had started when she was ten years old, the Mittal cottage was filled with books due to Farhan’s slight obsession and when he found out about the wizarding community, it opened a whole new world of books to read, it was hard to tear him away from Flourish and Blots on a good day. So, Beatrice thought nothing of it when she found a plain looking leather-bound book.   
Being the curious child she was, she peered into the pages of the book, inside, she discovered the ramblings of one Cordelia Wittlesnap. Wittlesnap appeared to be a witch from around the 19th century, particularly skilled in the subject of necromancy and the study of all creatures, great and small.   
Beatrice fell dangerously in love with the topic, a morbid fascination for a child, but she didn’t care, she was going to perfect it, Ministry or not.   
So, as soon as she got her wand and was safely in Hogwarts, Beatrice got to work. Summers was too preoccupied with the mystery of Harriet to notice Beatrice’s strange habits. She would spend hours trying to bring frogs, mice, any dead creature Dinah would bring her, back to life. Nothing stuck until one day when she fell upon Dinah who had gotten into a particularly bad fight with Mrs Norris and didn’t look like she was going to make it. Any normal child would’ve taken the cat to Madame Pomfrey, not Beatrice. It was almost if Merlin himself had cast the spell, something fell into place and Beatrice knew exactly what to do.   
The process of necromancy was not as simple as normal magic, dark magic always had a price, a price Beatrice was willing to pay. A life for a life was typically the thought of most people when they thought of bringing back from the dead, that was not the case, it was more similar to the making of a Horcrux, Beatrice would give the cat years from her own life.   
It certainly wasn’t immortality and Beatrice knew one day she would have to let Dinah go, the cat was bordering on seventeen by now, not technically living, not technically dead. The magic had its flaws, of course, when Dinah was tired, Beatrice was wide awake and vise versa, not ideal. But it also had its perks, while Dinah could still appear dead, she didn’t breathe and had no pulse, her body would not rot or smell like a corpse, her diet was the same, nothing much changed there, still ate dead mice.   
Eleven-year-old Beatrice Mittal was the youngest witch to bring things back from the dead and no one would ever know. It was too risky, Beatrice did not like the idea of Azkaban, too damp. Not even her own parents knew.   
“Care to explain why you’re picking a fight with the neighbours?” Susan asked firmly, snapping Beatrice out of her trance. Her mother was standing over her, arms crossed firmly but a twinkle of humour sparkled in her eyes.   
“Mother” Beatrice raised to her heart, closed her eyes and sighed dramatically, “I would never start a fight” She opened a single brown eye, “I only finish them”   
Susan snorted, “Yeah right, tell that to the numerous broken noses I’ve fixed throughout my life” She knelt down and playfully grabbed her daughters nose, “Sure you’re not a Gryffindor like me? You could always change if you like?” She added the last bit with a hopeful look.   
“Hard pass, Mum” Beatrice swatted Susan’s hand away, “I’m a true badger, in and out, I just happened to be raised by a Gryffindor and picked up on your weird sense of loudness and useless bravery”   
“Don’t even mention those things” Farhan grumbled from the kitchen, “You know how they make me”   
“Aw, don’t worry Dad, I’m sure if we slipped you in with the first years, McGonagall would turn a blind eye” Beatrice teased, her father had always wanted to know what his house would be and aggravated him to no end that he’d never know.   
Farhan sighed dramatically, like father like daughter. Susan chuckled and pressed a kiss on his cheek.   
“Oh, love, that reminds me” Susan said excitedly, “We’re having tea with the neighbours!”   
Beatrice almost spat out her spleen.   
“I met the owner, he’s seems quite polite, no doubt from a noble family but he was ever so insistent on meeting us” Susan continued to chatter, “Maybe you can clear up that argument with his daughter”   
Beatrice lay out on the floor, “I doubt anything I say will help” she muttered under her breath exasperated, “When are we leaving?” she added a little more loudly.   
“An hour love, pop something on that says, ‘I don’t eat frogs’”  
“I was FIVE”   
“Yeah, sure”   
………………………  
Damn I’m cute   
Beatrice smirked at herself in the mirror before striking a mock pose, she had rangled up a pretty floral summer slip dress that ended mid-calf. It had spaghetti straps, of course, anything else would be a crime, she had paired it with a simple white cardigan that ended at her waist, just to make her seem less formal. Hair? Down. Shoes? Sandals. A fashion icon? Definitely.   
Try do better Parkinson, I dare you.  
With one final smug look at herself, she practically skipped down to the outside of the cottage where her parents waited, Susan with a pie and Farhan looking rather nervous.   
“Dad, you look like you’re about to crumple” Beatrice commented, secretly making sure her father was okay.   
“Not really” Farhan replied, wringing his hands, “Meeting new wizards always makes me nervous”   
Beatrice felt a pang of sympathy for her father. Her and her mother had always had no problem with the wizarding world but Farhan on the other hand was always the odd one out, he embraced it as much as he could but it was still something he approached with caution.   
Susan cheerfully slipped her arm through her husbands, “Don’t be nervous darling, I’ll hex anyone who makes you feel out of place” she smiled sweetly, she wasn’t kidding and she could throw a mean hex.   
The trio wandered over to the estate, the sun shone harshly in the late afternoon and there were gardeners hard at work and builders observing, possibly trying to figure out how the place was still standing.   
A tall man in a white shirt and black dress pants was talking to a worker before noticing Susan and came over to great the Mittal’s. He was a handsome wizard, he had that strange hot older man energy, he practically screamed ‘women with daddy issues, line up here.’   
Beatrice bit back her grin and her mind wandered.   
Didn’t Binn’s talk about Pansy’s father recently, Is this him? He doesn’t resemble her much, maybe the hair, but black hair is common. Is he the bigoted one? Or was that the mother? God, I hope it wasn’t him. What was his name again? Archibald? Artimus?   
“My name is Atticus” The voice broke Beatrice’s thoughts, the man held out his hand, on his face was a smile but his eyes were dead cold, and Beatrice knew a thing or two about death.   
“Beatrice,” She threw a sickly-sweet smile back at him, ‘Beatrice Mittal”   
“How charming, you’re in Pansy’s year correct?” Atticus raised an eyebrow, “I believe you broke her nose?”   
Beatrice bit back yet another grin, “Yes to both, Mr Parkinson, I’m surprised she mentioned it”   
“She didn’t”   
Atticus coughed before shooting another smile to Susan and Farhan, “Shall we head in for tea?”   
The four sat awkwardly in a luxurious library. Beatrice could tell her father was fighting the urge to pour over the books, she was fighting the urge to propel herself along the room on the swinging ladders.   
“So, Mr Mittal” Atticus turned his attention to her Father, “It’s my understanding that you have spent time in India? Where did you travel, how is the wizarding community?”   
Farhan cheered up at the mention of his home, “I visited my mother before she passed while I was last there”   
“Oh, I’m terribly sorry”   
“Don’t be” Farhan smiled wistfully, “She was a lovely woman, it was simply her time” He coughed, “However I’m afraid I have no idea about the wizarding community there, it was before I had met Susan you see” He explained.  
Atticus stiffed and his brow furrowed, “Before meeting Susan? You don’t mean you’re a-“   
“A muggle, yes” Farhan finished, unaware of the tension in the room.   
“A muggle?” Attius turned his nose disdainfully, “I had no idea the type of people I was letting into my home” he spat, “Disgusting and to think a lovely woman like yourself would lower yourself to marrying that” He gave a pointed look towards Susan  
Beatrice could feel her hand itching for her wand.   
“Beatrice, darling” Susan said, a sickly sweet smile playing on her lips, her eyes never breaking from Atticus’s, “I do believe you should look around the house, Mr Parkinson and his bigotry seems to be taking up a lot of space”   
Beatrice took the hint, with one last seething look at the soon-to-be-late Mr Parkinson, she slid out the door and found herself wandering the halls of the Parkinson Residence.   
The place was definitely huge, falling apart and gross, but huge. The more she wandered, the more she could feel her anger slipping away and find herself getting lost.  
“Blast” Beatrice muttered to herself as she passed by the same portrait she had come across ten minutes earlier, “I’m lost” She gazed up at the portrait exasperated, “Do you know the way out?”   
“I’m afraid this place is new to me too” The sweet voice answered, the portrait was of a young woman, perhaps in her teens with long black hair, in fact it was more blue than black, maybe even violet.   
“Violet Parkinson” Beatrice read aloud the plague on the frame, “Pansy’s mum” She looked up at the woman questioningly.   
“Nope” Violet flashed a cheeky smile, “I’m afraid that would be future me, or well, past me” she paused, “Whichever me it was, it wasn’t this one”   
Beatrice stared wide eyed at the woman, she was nothing like Pansy, Violet seemed like an open book, and she was so smiley, it was looking at Pansy without the issues.   
“So, what are you doing in my husbands house?” She smiled playfully, twirling a long lock around her finger, “You are definitely not a Parkinson”   
“I could be one” Beatrice said defensively, “How would you know”   
“I’m dead, not stupid” Violet retorted, “Parkinson’s don’t get lost, especially not in their own house”  
Beatrice narrowed her eyes before smiling, Violet seemed to argue without angering her, perhaps it was because she seemed so calm.  
“What on Earth are you doing with my mother’s portrait” Pansy’s voice rang out.  
Beatrice turned in surprise to see the girl standing at the end of the hall.   
“Well since you decided to invade my stream, I am invading your house” Beatrice responded confidently, crossing her arms as the girl walked over.   
“Oh, so you two know each other!” Violet clasped her hands together, “Maybe Pansy can help you find your way”   
Beatrice flushed as Pansy snorted.   
“Lost Mittal? I thought Hufflepuffs don’t get lost?” Pansy smirked, hand on her hip.   
“That’s a myth, Parkinson” Beatrice huffed, willing the red in her cheeks to go away, “This house is bloody huge, what do you expect?”   
“Barely, what are you even doing here?” Pasny asked, “Should I be reporting you for breaking and entering?”   
“Your father” Beartrice spat, “Decided to invite us for tea, he had a few problems with my father however”   
“How so?”   
“Dad’s a muggle” Beatrice looked Pansy dead in the eye, “My mother doesn’t take kindly to bigots”  
Pansy’s face fell and her demeanour instantly shifted, she looked smaller, ashamed.  
“I’ll show you the way out” Pansy said quietly, avoiding Beatrice’s gaze.   
Predictable.   
Beatrice followed her through the corridors of the house, there was little light, and the sun had set leaving them to completely rely on candles.  
“Suppose they haven’t set up the lights yet” Beatrice thought to herself, “Wonder what this place will look like when its done”   
Pansy stopped at what seemed to be a back door, Beatrice peered out.   
“If you walk down it takes you to the stream, back to yours” She opened to door awkwardly.   
“Thanks” Beatrice said bitterly, she stepped out into the warm air.   
“Mittal”   
Beatrice spun on her heel; Pansy was standing at the doorway.   
“I’m sorry” Pansy bit her lip, “For Father, for me”   
Beatrice softened.   
So, she did have a heart   
“Oi Parkinson” She called out back at her, “Come to the stream tomorrow” Her eyes sparkled at Pansy’s shocked face.   
“Two o’clock sharp!” Beatrice yelled as she ran down the hill, “I’ll hex you if you’re late!”   
She didn’t hear the soft giggle that Pansy let out as she watched Beatrice clumsily run down the hill.   
“Sure thing, Beatrice”


	12. Chapter Twleve

“And he believed you?” Beatrice wheezed, clutching her sides.

“Yes, you should’ve seen his face when we told him the truth,” Pansy said in mirth, “Vince didn’t talk to us for weeks”

It was a lazy Sunday afternoon, and the pair were lying on the grassy bank of the stream, Dinah snored gently next to them. To Beatrice’s slight surprise, Pansy had shown up, with a bottle of pumpkin juice, no less. The girls had spent hours chatting about their own friendships.

“Poor, poor, Crabbe” Beatrice shook her head, a grin on her face, “I can’t believe that he actually thought the house-elves were trying to make him diet, they live to fatten us all up”

Pansy turned to her with a solemn look on her face, “Vincent takes food very seriously”

The two girls collapsed into another round of giggles.

“Summers would absolutely die if we mentioned anything about his stomach,” Beatrice said, eyes sparkling, “He takes his appearance very seriously, much like Crabbe”

“It does pay off” Pansy replied, taking a sip from the pumpkin juice, “You should hear the Slytherin girls talk about him”

Beatrice wrinkled up her nose, “Do not tell him that, his ego is bad enough”

“It’s strange though,” Pansy said thoughtfully.

Beatrice stared at her, “What?”

“Well he obviously only has eyes for that Mitsky girl”

Beatrice spat out her pumpkin juice, “What?”

“It's true” Pansy nodded, giggling, “It’s so obvious, Mittal, don’t tell me you’re that dense” 

“I am not dense” huffed Beatrice, crossing her arms “I just thought no one else figured it out”

“Oh, come on, I’m pretty sure even Snape knows” Pansy snorted, “Those affectionate head rubs aren’t fooling anyone.

Beatrice laughed sitting up, “You are a complete gossip, Parkinson”

Pansy sat up to match Beatrice and turned up her nose, “I prefer to call it being ‘with the news’”

“Nope, an awful gossip, positively compulsive”

Pansy glared playfully at her; Beatrice stuck out her tongue.

“Very mature” Pansy rolled her eyes, Beatrice gave her an angelic smile.

Beatrice furrowed her brow, “That reminds me, Parkinson, now don’t you dare hex me”

Pansy narrowed her eyes, “Underage magic, Mittal, but I can and will push you in the stream”

“Well now I don’t want to ask”

“Mittal!”

“Fine, fine” Beatrice raised her arms in defeat, “The unicorns, what is it with you and those unicorns?”

Pansy softened, her shoulders relaxed, she looked away.

“It's okay if you don-“ Beatrice backtracked quickly but was interrupted by Pansy waving her off. 

“The little one lost its mother,” She started quietly, “Hagrid mentioned it in Care of Magical Creatures, so I started going to visit it”

Beatrice’s heart panged.

“You most definitely did not help with your massive feet” Pansy sniffed, trying to bring the conversation to a more light-hearted pace.

“Yup” grinned Beatrice, “Absolutely massive” She shoved her foot right near Pansy’s face, Pansy shrieked and stumbled to get away from Beatrice’s foot.

Beatrice collapsed into another round of giggles and Pansy shot her a scowl.

“Careful, Mittal, I can give out detentions now” She stuck out her tongue at Beatrice.

Beatrice gaped at her, “How did you become Prefect? Miss. I-sneak-out-to-see-unicorns?”

Pansy shrugged, “Guess they wanted someone who knew her right foot from her left” She smiled mischievously at Beatrice.

Beatrice gasped dramatically, “You wound me so”

“Shut up”

“Beatrice Mittal!” The two were drawn to the attention of a cross Susan Mittal frantically waving from the other side of the bank.

Beatrice cringed and averted her gaze from Pansy.

“Why is she so cross?” Pansy asked, her black eyes almost filled with worry, “Does she know you’re hanging out with me?”

“Yes” groaned Beatrice, trying to block out her mother’s shrill shrieks, “I was supposed to de gnome the garden this morning but I might’ve forgotten.

Pansy snorted looking at the vastly approaching figure of Mrs. Mittal.

Susan Mittal was a minute woman of 5’1, she was a woman who would seem quite docile to most as her main wardrobe consisted of oddly colored hats and knitted socks. Sadly, for Beatrice and Farhan, this was not the case.

“Gnomes, Gnomes in my home” shrieked Susan from across the bank, “When I became a Magizoololigist, I took an oath to love every creature but that will not stop me from feeding you to a bloody Kappa, Beatrice”

Pansy gaped in amazement, “Good god your mother terrifies me, I love it”

Beatrice answered with a muffled scream into the grass.

“Parkinson?”

Pansy glanced down at her, “Yes?”

“Have you ever de gnomed a lawn?”

…………

Pansy had not, in fact ever ‘de gnomed’ a lawn, however, she did what was necessary to escape the wrath of Mrs. Mittal. She had been hustled along into a pair of far too big overalls and a floppy hat, joined by a sleepy Mr. Mittal in a shocking pair of pink gloves and Beatrice with a red bandana tied around her head.

“Right” Beatrice gritted her teeth, “Forward march”

The trio spent the afternoon spinning gnomes as far as they could throw and frequently getting bitten. They had managed to get into a routine of Pansy finding and grabbing the gnome, Beatrice throwing it up in the air, and Farhan hitting it with a rake, batting it out of the yard.

“I knew that cricket club subscription would come in handy” Farhan said proudly as the last gnome was brutally knocked out of the garden.

“Cricket?” Pansy looked at Beatrice, mystified.

“Does this Hogwarts have any extracurricular activities?” Farhan shook his head in disbelief, he began an animated discussion of muggle sports to poor Pansy.

Beatrice bit back a giggle at the expression on Pansy’s face.

They walked back into the kitchen, chattering and laughing to be met with much-appreciated cake and lemonade.

“Beatrice, dear,” Susan said pleasantly, obviously recovered from her earlier outburst, “Why don’t you show Pansy your room”

“Mum, I’m not five” Beatrice flushed but led Pansy up the rickety ladder anyway.

Pansy looked around in wonder at Beatrice’s room, “I’ve seen a lot of bedrooms in my time, Mittal” she began, eyes slowly taking in her surroundings, “But none as bloody weird as yours”

“Many bedrooms ay?” Beatrice waggled her eyebrows, “Wait, hey, my bedroom is cool as”

“I will ignore the bedroom comment for your own safety” teased Pansy, “And yes, it’s very, Muggle”

“Wait until you see this”

Beatrice pulled a strange looking box from her bedside table and motioned excitedly for Pansy to sit on the rug with her.

“Despite what others think,” She said shooting a look at Pansy, “I happen to love the muggle part of my life”

“This is a cassette player” she began slowly explaining the concept to Pansy, “It plays muggle music”

“Muggle music?” Pansy scrunched up her nose, “Is it any good”

Beatrice gaped at her, “My God, Parkinson, it’s far better than anything the Weird Sisters could ever come with”

She fiddled with the buttons for a few seconds and let the music begin.

Pansy began to giggle, “Mittal, this has to be a joke”

Beatrice smiled, “Okay, this one was for a bit of a laugh but god it grows on you”

“What’s it called?”

“Super Freak”

Pansy continued to laugh, lying on the rug before sitting up suddenly.

“Beatrice” she grinned, “Surely dance with me?”

Beatrice matched her look and helped the girl to her feet, the taped song changed.

Pansy looked at her wide-eyed, “You know the ministry would kill you if this song got leaked”

“I thought Slytherins didn’t follow the Ministry”

“Last time I checked; you were still a little Hufflepuff”

Beatrice laughed and the two began to dance to the Weird Sisters.

“Oh, can you dance like a Hippogriff?” The pair sang, loudly and off-key into an assortment of hairbrushes. Their hair flung wildly around their faces.

“Maybe she isn’t as bad as I thought”


	13. Chapter Thirteen

The students chattered among themselves, the Great Hall lit ablaze with candles, reuniting with friends and lovers alike. The holidays had gone frighteningly fast for Beatrice, her time had always been filled with some task or another, not to mention Snape's holiday homework that she had completely half-assed. And then there was Pansy. The pair had spent most of their time at Beatrice’s or at their stream. Beatrice wasn’t sure when but somehow it wasn’t her stream anymore, it was theirs, they were friends, or at least, in Beatrice’s opinion they were.

Beatrice bit her lip, pushing around a potato on her plate with one hand, the other held her head up, “Does she think we’re friends? Or am I going crazy? Was I just a silly pastime?”

“Honestly, that cardigan is doing nothing for her” Susan remarked pulling Beatrice out from her thoughts.

“Whose cardigan?” Beatrice squinted over at the teacher's table.

“The pink one” Summers hissed at her while Harriet giggled across the table.

Beatrice’s eyes fell to possibly the pinkest woman she had ever seen in her life. She was dawned head to toe in the color even her pudgy cheeks had splotches of pink in them, only her hair was brown, styled in an unattractive bob.

“I think she’s competing with Snape for monochrome look of the year” giggled a fourth-year cheekily.

“She’d have to die her hair pink first” Summers responded grinning at the smaller girl, “Summers” her stuck out his hand, “What bout you?”

“Desdemona Thickett” she grinned back meeting his hand, “But call me Mona, seriously, Desdemona is a mouthful”

“Your parents Shakespeare fans?” Beatrice smiled at Mona, “I’m Beatrice by the way and the girl sitting next to you is Harriet” she gestured over at Harriet who gave a small wave.

“Susan” Susan sprayed her toast over Beatrice who groaned.

“And I’m Thomas” A voice from behind Beatrice loudly announced, Thomas threw his gangly legs over the bench and wedged himself between Summers and Beatrice, he sat happily not noticing Summers glare.

“Nice to meet you all” Mona smiled brightly before turning to Beatrice while Summers and Thomas fought over breadsticks “And yeah, they’re practically obsessed, you shoulda seen their faces when they found out magic was real, was like you set a bunch of tourists loose in London”

Beatrice laughed, “I suppose the same goes for my dad, but he’s still a little wary of magical creatures, he didn’t have a brilliant experience with them”

“Oh?” Mona raised her eyebrow questioningly, “Do tell”

“Well” Beatrice popped her head in her hands comfortably, “My Mum is a mazooloigist you see” she explained, “She was on an expedition tracking Grindylow mating seasons and my father had just returned to England after seeing family in India. Long story short, he managed to have a run-in with an angry Cornish Pixie and got hung up by his shirt on a rather tall tree, my mum heard the racket he was making and got him down with her broom. She said he was so calm about the whole ordeal for a muggle, she found it quite adorable, so, she took him with her, I suppose they just sorta stuck” Beatrice shrugged her shoulders, “I suppose that’s how it happens, you just kinda stick”

“I take it your muggle father showed you Shakespeare” Mona’s eyes twinkled.

“Literature professor” Beatrice rolled her eyes, “Full-time worry wart too, he’d love to meet your parents though, similar interests and all” she smiled back.

Mona went to reply but was cut off by the shrill singing of the sorting hat

In times of old when I was new  
And Hogwarts barely started  
The founders of our noble school  
Thought never to be parted:  
United by a common goal,  
They had the selfsame yearning,  
To make the world's best magic school  
And pass along their learning.  
"Together we will build and teach!"  
The four good friends decided  
And never did they dream that they  
Might someday be divided,  
For were there such friends anywhere  
As Slytherin and Gryffindor?  
Unless it was the second pair  
Of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw?  
So how could it have gone so wrong?  
How could such friendships fail?  
Why I was there and so can tell  
The whole sad, sorry tale.  
Said Slytherin, "We'll teach just those  
Whose ancestry is purest."  
Said Ravenclaw, "We'll teach those whose  
Intelligence is surest."  
Said Gryffindor, "We'll teach all those  
With brave deeds to their name,"  
Said Hufflepuff, "I'll teach the lot,  
And treat them just the same."  
These differences caused little strife  
When first they came to light,  
For each of the four founders had  
A House in which they might  
Take only those they wanted, so,  
For instance, Slytherin  
Took only pure-blood wizards  
Of great cunning, just like him,  
And only those of sharpest mind  
Were taught by Ravenclaw  
While the bravest and the boldest  
Went to daring Gryffindor.  
Good Hufflepuff, she took the rest,  
And taught them all she knew,  
Thus the Houses and their founders  
Retained friendships firm and true.  
So Hogwarts worked in harmony  
For several happy years,  
But then discord crept among us  
Feeding on our faults and fears.  
The Houses that, like pillars four,  
Had once held up our school,  
Now turned upon each other and,  
Divided, sought to rule.  
And for a while, it seemed the school  
Must meet an early end,  
What with dueling and with fighting  
And the clash of friend on friend  
And at last, there came a morning  
When old Slytherin departed  
And though the fighting then died out  
He left us quite downhearted.  
And never since the founders four  
Were whittled down to three  
Have the Houses been united  
And they once were meant to be.  
And now the Sorting Hat is here  
And you all know the score:  
I sort you into Houses  
Because that is what I'm for,  
But this year I'll go further,  
Listen closely to my song:  
Though condemned I am to split you  
Still, I worry that it's wrong,  
Though I must fulfill my duty  
And must quarter every year  
Still, I wonder whether sorting  
May not bring the end I fear.  
Oh, know the perils, read the signs,  
The warning history shows,  
For our, Hogwarts is in danger  
From external, deadly foes  
And we must unite inside her  
Or we'll crumble from within.  
I have told you, I have warned you...  
Let the Sorting now begin.  
The silence was dead in the hall. 

“Jeez, what happened to the sorting hat over the summer” whispered Thom, eyes wide.

“I have no bloody clue” Summer’s whispered back; mouth filled with steak. 

Dumbledore began his usual ramblings, filled with Filtch’s extensive list of rules that absolutely no one ever followed, Beatrice began to tune him out but was sorely interrupted by a “hem hem” which filled the air.

Beatrice stared at her incredulously.

“Did she just interrupt Dumbledore?”

“Thank you, Headmaster” simpered the ugly cardigan, “for those kind words of welcome”

“Well it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say!” she beamed, a smile that was not reflected by her audience. “I am Professor Umbridge, your new Defence Against the Arts teacher, I am very much looking forward to getting to know you all and I’m sure we’ll be very good friends!”

Summers snorted which he quickly concealed into a cough making the surrounding students burst into quiet giggles that Professor Umbridge seemed to ignore.

She began to yabber on, with a tone that had a Professor Binn’s ring to it because it was sending Beatrice straight to sleep. Students had begun to ignore her starting conversations of their own, only prefects and teachers seemed to pay attention but even they were growing tired of her droning.

Summers and Mona had begun an animated debate over Quidditch while Susan, Harriet, and Beatrice amused themselves by scribbling caricatures of Umbridge and her hideous cardigan, but Thom sat there listening with a troubled look on his face.

Beatrice frowned and nudged him, “Thom what’s the matter? Is her dribble catching your attention?”

“I wish it was catching mine” Susan groaned miserably into her hands, “I’ve run out of paper and I’m bored to tears”

“No,” Thom’s frown deepened, “There’s something behind her speech, she’s basically saying, the Ministry is trying to control Hogwarts”

‘It would make sense” chimed in Mona, “Since last year, the Ministry has been driven up the wall trying to invalidate Potters claims”

“More like Potter’s lies” a Hufflepuff second year huffed.

“Shut it” Summer’s glared at him, “Have a backbone and don’t be a sheep, Potters right and you know it”

The group nodded in agreement and the second year shrunk away.

Thomas sighed and cleaned his glasses, “I don’t believe this year will be any easier than last” his face dark.

………..

“First period with Slytherins and that ugly ugly cardigan” Susan shuddered next to Beatrice.

“Honestly Susan, I don’t believe the cardigan is the worst of our problems” Beatrice sighed, head on the desk.

“It should be the worst of hers” Susan replied solemnly.

Beatrice snorted, “Plus the Slytherins seem quite at peach this morning, their inner rage seems to be quieter this morning” she mockingly held her hand to her ear. She quickly glanced over at Pansy who was mid-argument with Blaise, she smiled to herself.

“Right” A shrill voice began from the back of the classroom, “Good morning class” Umbridge strutted to the front of the room primly, she was met with a mumble of half-awake hellos.

“I believe the correct answer is ‘Good Morning, Professor Umbridge’” She smiled sickeningly.

“Good morning, Professor Umbridge” the class droned in response, Summers and Beatrice shared a look from across the desks.

“I believe you’ve had a rather scattered education” she began to write on the chalkboard, “So we’ll begin from the beginning, wands away books out”

“Shoot me now”

Beatrice scanned over the contents of the book and lazily stuck her hand up, “Miss, this book doesn’t even cover how to use the spells, just theory”

“It’s Professor Umbridge to you Miss?”

“Mittal” Beatrice gazed up at her with a bored look on her face, she had already made up her mind she hated the woman, why make her job easier now?

“Miss Mittal” Profesor Umbridge simpered dangerously, “Theory is all you need, you will hardly be attacked here in this classroom”

Mutters of outraged echoed through the classroom but were silenced by a loud scoff from Summers.

“Tell that to Harry Potter for the last five years of his life” he leaned back in his seat.

Umbridge narrowed her eyes, “As you all should be aware of by now, Mr. Potter is no more than an attention-seeking liar”

Susan mockingly raised her eyebrows and turned to Beatrice, “Wow, he must seriously put effort into putting on that fake scar every day and fooling everyone around him for his entire life”

Laughter and snarky comments filled the classroom, if you could depend on Hufflepuffs for one thing, it was to be stubbornly loyal to their classmates.

“Enough!” Professor Umbridge shrieked over the noise, “Miss Mittal, Miss Bones, Mr. Summers, detention and ten points from Hufflepuff, each” She narrowed her eyes at the three.

She turned to Pansy with a simpering look who cringed away from the woman, “Miss Parkinson, as a prefect, please escort these three to Professor Sprout”

The four filed out of the class with a sympathetic look from Harriet.

“Well she’s a train wreck” commented Summers his arm flung around Beatrice’s shoulders, “But Bumblebee, I’ve never seen you be so cool and collected” he teased prodding Beatrice’s cheek, she swatted his hand away”

“Our little Beatrice is growing up” Susan wiped a fake tear from the corner of her eye.

“Walk silently or I’ll add more detentions to your already growing number” snapped Pansy.

Beatrice turned her head to look at the girl and was met by a cheeky wink, unseen by the grumpy Susan and Summers.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

The day had been exhausting, Beatrice had been back at Hogwarts for a full twenty-four hours and already felt like the life was drained out of her. 

“I can’t believe that bitch” swore Mona, “She’s insufferable” She stabbed at a carrot and angrily chewed on it. 

“I’ll drink to that” Susan took a swig of her pumpkin juice, “No one with such abysmal taste in clothes could ever be good news” 

Harriet nodded furiously. 

The group of Hufflepuffs had sat down for dinner to recall the events of the day, mostly just to complain about Umbridge. 

Their group had yet again grown bigger, they had silently adopted Mona into their group and even Susan was spending her time with them as Hannah had been made Prefect and seemed to prefer shining her badge than making conversation. 

“I’m telling you now” Thom began glumly, “She’ll worm her way up the ranks and take us over, our new uniform will be shades of fuchsia” 

“Absolutely not” Summers shook his head firmly, “Dinner is for reflection upon good things, like how bloody delicious this pie is,” he said between mouthfuls, “And Quidditch tryouts!” 

Harriet wrinkled up her face at his appalling lack of manners and instinctively wiped his face with a napkin, her eyes widened and flushed deeply when she realized what she was doing while the rest of the table looked at her strangely 

“Must be a habit from siblings” Beatrice covered up hastily, “Quidditch! Summers please tell me more; I think I may develop a love for it”

Harriet shot her a grateful look and Summers shook off his expression and began happily babbling about the Quidditch cup.

“Applebee is captain again, right?” questioned Mona, “I’m going for a beater, like my brothers” 

Summers nodded, “Yeah she’s a gem, bit of a dragon at times but Tasmin’s a good sort” he spooned pie into his mouth, “Thom, you trying this year?” 

Thom seemed to be pulled away from his own world and grinned, “I’ll finally win over Tasmin with my dazzling keeper skills, she can’t reject me forever” 

Thom desperately wanted to be on the Quidditch team, everyone knew that unfortunately, the boy was just so clumsy, he could never quite grasp the ball. It was getting to the point where Beatrice was wondering if she should just cast a permanent sticking charm to his hands. 

Beatrice giggled at that thought and continued to quietly listen to their conversation. She felt comfortable at home with all the noise. Beatrice never had any siblings, but she felt as if the feeling would be quite similar, to happily sit with a large family. Of course, she adored her parents, but the feeling of a big family felt quite warm. Maybe she could pretend to be a Weasley, there was so bloody many of them, she was sure their parents wouldn’t even notice. 

“Bee, you’ve got your detention with Umbridge tonight, right?” Susan wrinkled her nose, “Mine’s Wednesday” 

“Yes” Beatrice replied miserably, “And I’ve got Snape's ridiculous essay due as well, I might just kiss my sleep good-bye” 

“Don’t worry” Summers grinned, “I’ll copy off Harriet and you can copy off-oomf!” he was cut off by Harriet whacking his arm and glaring at him. 

“Since everyone else seems to be unreliable,” Thomas turned to Beatrice, “I reckon I have the essay you’re talking about from last year, moonstone properties and all that shite? I’ll leave it with you, and you can change it up a bit” 

Beatrice smiled gratefully at the bespeckled boy, “Thanks Thom, I owe you my life” 

He laughed heartily, “Just try to get some sleep” he got up from the table and waved at the others and received a chorus of goodbyes. 

Summers, Susan, Mona, and Harriet turned to Beatrice intently. 

“Bee, you flirt,” Summers said dramatically, “Moved onto men already?” 

“Summers I have no clue what you’re gossiping about” Beatrice retorted calmly, focusing on her particularly interesting plate. 

“Normally, Summers is all talk” Susan waved her hands around, “But that boy has caught the Beatrice Mittal flu hard” 

The others stared at her incredulously. 

“What?” she shrugged, “I thought it was clever” 

Mona shook her head giggling. 

“You guys are positively delirious,” Beatrice rolled her eyes, “Thom is interested in Quidditch and muggle sports but I’m afraid Beatrice Mittal is not either of those” 

“Plus,” she added, “I am only interested in painting and those delicious looking cakes Harriet has been silently hogging all night” she gave Harriet an accusing look who guiltily passed her a pastry. 

“Are you sure that’s all you’re interested in?” Summers said waggling his eyebrows. 

Beatrice snorted and swung her bag over her shoulder, “Don’t worry darling, there’s no one else in my life than you” she got up and planted a kiss on Summers's head and hugged Harriet softly, “Don’t wait up for me, off to detention” 

She walked away from the Hufflepuff table and began to leave the mostly empty Great Hall. As she approached, she could see Pansy loitering at the entrance of the hall. The pair hadn’t spoken since the holidays, only silly looks at each other from across the classroom.

“Waiting for me?” Beatrice teased, making the Slytherin girl jump.

“Yes, Mittal, my life without you has been awful” Pansy retorted sarcastically, a sparkle in her eye.

“As it should have been” Beatrice made a long dramatic sigh, “Surely you could use that shiny badge of yours and pull me out of detention” She batted her eyelashes at Pansy as they began to make their way down the corridor.

“That would be an abuse of power” Pansy grinned shaking her head. 

Beatrice snorted, “And that’s been a problem for you since?” 

“Since I was given this shiny badge,” Pansy said smartly, “Plus” she added with a grimace, “The less contact I have with that woman the better, she works with my father”

Beatrice made a fake gagging noise before looking innocently at Pansy, “Your father, what a treasure”

Pansy laughed darkly, “She’s possibly worse, at least my dad doesn’t cover up with simpering, she’s exhausting and a dick”

Beatrice looked at her quietly as they walked, “Do you agree with him? All the shit about muggle-borns and blood purity?” 

Pansy sighed, “Honestly, Mittal, I don’t know, it didn’t all seem real until last year” she ran her fingers through her hair, “Before then it was just all I was told, it was that or face dad. But then seeing that boy dead” she shuddered, “You don’t realize how real it is until you’re in deep I suppose”

“You should talk to Binns,” Beatrice said softly, “He knew your ma, liked her too, I reckon he would at least provide you with the knowledge that you had one decent parent”

Pansy smiled sadly at the ground, “Do you know what the pansy flower symbolizes, Mittal?” 

Beatrice shook her head wordlessly. 

“It means a separation between lovers” she spat bitterly, “My mother died in childbirth and my father named me to remind him that I would always be the thing that separated him from his love”

Beatrice stopped dead in her tracks, she grabbed Pansy by the shoulders and looked her dead in the eye. 

“You are not the reason your mother died, Parkinson,” she said firmly, her face reddening with anger, “You were a baby but your father is an adult, that’s inexcusably cruel and I’m going to hex his bollocks off myself” 

Beatrice was interrupted by her thoughts by a giggle, a giggle that quickly escalated into a laugh, 

Pansy was laughing brightly while Beatrice shook her. 

“Mittal, you’re quite scary at times” Pansy guffawed. 

Beatrice dropped her arms and flushed deeply. 

“I reckon you might take after your mother more than you think” Pansy smiled wiping a tear of laugher from her eye, “I think I might need to create a support group ‘people who live in fear of the Mittal women' she grinned mischievously, “Maybe I’ll owl your dad a subscription” 

Beatrice showed her playfully and the pair stopped dead at a tall wooden door, Pansy grimaced. 

“You’re on your own, Mittal” Pansy said fleetingly, waving as she left Beatrice at the wrath of the beast. 

Beatrice sighed before quietly knocking on the door. 

“Ahem, Ahem” A cough came from inside, “Come in” 

She fought the urge to run all the way back to the Hufflepuff common rooms and forced herself through the door. 

To say that Professor Umbridge’s room was appalling would be an understatement, it was possibly the most hideous thing she’d ever seen, the walls a sickly pink and photographs of poor cats lined every inch of the wall. 

“Oh god, Susan’s going to have a field day with this” Beatrice thought as she took in the room, her mouth forming into a straight thin line.

“Miss Mittal” Umbridge looked up from her papers and smiled menacingly, “Please, take a seat” She gestured to a small writing desk and chair. 

“Guess I can deal with lines,” thought Beatrice nonchalantly. 

Umbridge let out another twittering cough distracting Beatrice from her thoughts. 

“Lines today, Miss Mittal” Her voice was sickly sweet “Let’s say, ‘I must not question authority’, fifty times if you will” 

Beatrice internally rolled her eyes for what felt like the hundredth time that day. She sat at the desk and pulled her quill from her pocket and began to get to work. 

“Not that quill, Miss Mittal,” Umbridge stopped Beatrice, “I believe my quill will achieve the desired effect” Beatrice could truly notice how terrifying Umbridge’s smile was, she resembled a crocodile before it chomped down on your leg. 

Tensely, Beatrice picked up Umbridge’s quill and twirled it between her fingers. She began to write and gasped slightly when pain shot into her left hand. She pulled up her sleeve and to her horror, ‘I must not question authority’ was written there faintly, red and throbbing. 

Gulping down her fear, determined to not let this bitch get the best of her, she continued to write, wincing as the message embedded itself, further and further into her skin. Tears pricked at her eyes, but she shook them off bravely. 

Once the lines were completed, Beatrice’s arm was bleeding and hurt like hell. She gingerly passed the lines to Umbridge who didn’t even look up. 

“You may leave now,” She said dismissively as if she hadn’t carved words into Beatrice’s arm. 

Beatrice slammed the door behind her, desperate to get away from that woman, she felt dizzy from the pain and she was trying to inhale oxygen in large hysterical gulps, her own knees were wobbly and she finally collapsed into the corner of a corridor with heaving sobs. 

“Mittal?” A horrified voice came from above her. 

Beatrice raised her tearstained face to see a blurry Pansy among other greenish students staring down at her. 

Pansy knelt quickly to the girl, nauseated by the sight of blood but was knocked to her arse by 

Beatrice who was sobbing into her shoulder. 

Beatrice didn’t know what she was doing, all she knew was that she needed some comfort, any comfort. 

Concerned voices echoed above Beatrice but she was too tired to hear it properly, her exhaustion, panic, and pain were causing her head to fall into a throbbing slumber. Her eyes grew heavy and eventually, her sobs ceased to small sleepy whimpers.

……………….

Beatrice peeled open her eyes to find herself on a very cold couch. She was uncomfortably cramped, and a green blanket covered her. Groggily, she sat up and raised her hand to scratch her head, she hissed in pain as she lifted it and she noticed the messy bandages that covered her arm. Possibly the strangest realization however was that Beatrice wasn’t in her own clothes, she was dressed in a massive muggle rock band t-shirt and a pair of green striped pajama bottoms.

“This must be a very strange dream” She muttered to herself stretching the best she could with her arm. 

“Not a dream I’m afraid” a deadpan voice came from behind her. 

Beatrice twirled around clumsily to see Blaise Zabini lazily sitting on a table watching her with an amused look on his face.

“Zabini, what am I doing here?” She sighed rubbing her head with her hand. Fighting seemed pointless, she was too tired to play.

“Brilliant question” he smirked, closing the book he had been reading “I’m afraid I don’t know the specifics, I was pulled out of my nap to act as a babysitter for you, beyond that, you’ll have to ask Pansy”

Beatrice looked around the room searching for the only familiar Slytherin face she knew, to her dismay it seemed to only be her and Zabini. 

She gave him a grumpy look, eyes narrowed, “Any clue where she is?” 

He shrugged nonchalantly and returned to reading his book. 

Beatrice wrinkled up her face and forced her aching head to concentrate.

“Detention,” she thought, “With Umbridge” 

She looked down in horror at her arm. 

“My fucking arm?!” She exclaimed in angry indignance. 

Blaise raised an eyebrow from behind his book, “Yes Mittal, it appears to still be there” 

She spluttered, standing suddenly her hand instinctively fluttering down to her where her wand normally was tucked. No wand.

Panic washed through her, she was in the Slytherin common rooms, no wand, her arm still damaged from Umbridge and the last person she had seen was nowhere to be found. She bit her lip trying to conjure some last-minute plan.

In the corner of the room, the stones shifted to reveal a flustered looking Pansy accompanied by Gregory Goyle who seemed to have his arms full of various potions.

Beatrice was at a loss for words, all she could do was raise her arm and point at it like a shocked four-year-old, “My arm!” She said at Pansy, expectantly. 

Blaise sniggered behind his book and Pansy shot him a seething look. 

“Does it hurt?” She bustled over to Beatrice, forcing the girl to sit down and motioned for Goyle to come over, “Sorry for not being here when you woke up” Pansy explained apologetically, “Had to go butter up Draco for some potions”

Beatrice eyed the bottles warily, “They’re not going to do anything bad, right?” Even if she sorta trusted Pansy, she wouldn’t go as far as Malfoy. 

Pansy rolled her eyes, “Yes, Mittal” She set to work unwrapping Beatrice’s arm, “I don’t think you’re in a position to be picky, Miss I-collapse-outside-the-Quidditch-pitch”

Beatrice gaped at her, “I fainted?” 

Pansy smirked, “In my arms, no less” She battered her eyes at her, “How romantic, Mittal” 

Beatrice flushed, “Doesn’t explain why I’m here” She muttered, shook from Pansy’s sudden comment. 

“I had Goyle carry you here” Pansy chattered as she healed Beatrice’s arm, “We saw you on the way back from Quidditch tryouts, crying in the corner covered in blood” 

“So we brought you here, put you in muggle clothes so your bloody Hufflepuff colors wouldn’t cause a riot, and made Blaise keep an eye on you” She finished, looking rather proud of herself.

Beatrice sat quietly taking it all in before her eyes widening, “Who on Earth changed my clothes?” She said incredulously, instinctively covering herself up with an accusing look at the three Slytherins. 

Goyle spoke up awkwardly in a rough voice, “Uhm, we had my sister do it” He looked at the floor, Beatrice noticed he had avoided eye contact the whole time.

“See very respectful” Pansy waved off, her eyes darkened “Now” she began, her tone dangerous,   
“Who carved that into your arm?”

Beatrice looked across at Pansy, her face was murderous. 

“Umbridge’s detention” She spat gingerly, “To teach my not to question authority” She gestured humourlessly at the words scared into her skin.

Even Blaise looked shocked at this, Pansy gritted her teeth. 

Goyle spoke up, “Are you gonna tell Sprout?” He finally looked down at her. 

Beatrice sighed and ran her fingers through her tangled hair, “I don’t know” She said hesitantly, “I don’t even know if I should tell Harriet and Summers” A wave of panic overcame her suddenly. 

“Summers and Susan” She looked at Pansy, her big brown eyes brimming with worry, “Detention, they have detention with her next” She went to stand but Pansy and Blaise kept her down, “I need to do something” She pleaded with Pansy tears forming. 

Pansy faltered at Beatrice’s tears but held her ground, “I’m not letting you go anywhere near that woman” she said fiercely, “However, I’ll try to get your friends out of that detention” She grimaced, “I have someone who owes me a favor, he’ll get them out” 

Beatrice let herself relax a little, sinking into the leather couch.

“Thank you,” Beatrice said breathily. 

Blaise coughed, capturing the group's attention, “Sorry to interrupt” he drawled, “But dinner is ending soon and we’re going to have a bunch of Slytherins in here” He eyed Beatrice, “I believe it would be like leaving a bunny with snakes” 

Pansy nodded helping Beatrice to her feet, Goyle steadied her. 

“Can you walk?” He said, concerned. 

Beatrice nodded in awe at his height, he stood at a good 6’4 compared to her titchy 5’3, he was like a clumsy giant. 

Pansy hovered around Beatrice like a mother hen, “I’ll take you back to the Hufflepuff dorms” She said following Beatrice to the exit, “Don’t complain” she raised a hand to Beatrice’s protests, “With your luck, you’d end up in Snape's storeroom” A smile twitched at her mouth. 

“Thank you” Beatrice smiled tiredly. 

“Anytime”


	15. Chapter Fifteen

Beatrice slammed her head down on the table, ignoring the smeared ink that had imprinted on her cheek. Harriet raised a single eyebrow at her from over the table with a judging look. Defense against the dark arts, practical or not, still kicked her arse. She was a ruddy bad dueller and couldn’t name her werewolves from her boggarts. Umbridge’s newfound hate for her certainly didn’t help either, her arm had stopped aching after Pansy’s fussing but still panged every time she was in the slimy toads’ class.   
She let out a noisy sigh that demanded attention from her two best friends who were knee-deep in feet of parchment.   
“Thank god” Summers threw up his hands, “Finally someone distracts me, thought I was going to have to actually write about the goblin wars”  
Beatrice sat up lazily, propping her head upon her hand, “Thought you were stealing Hannah’s?” she asked with a smirk.   
“Unfortunately, not” Summers sighed, “Apparently even my charms can’t work on that shiny prefect badge”   
“Don’t even get me started on that bloody badge” grumbled Susan who had appeared at the mention of Hannah’s name, “Pretty sure she kisses it before she goes to sleep”   
The pretty strawberry blonde was taking Hannah’s prefect status hard, the pair had been inseparable since the first year but a wedge had been forced between the two. Susan was laidback and often got in trouble for her multiple uniform violations, but she was undoubtedly one of the smartest Hufflepuffs in the year. Hannah on the other hand was a lot more insecure in her abilities and clung to her law-abiding nature as the sole reason she was a prefect. Hannah was avoiding Susan and Susan laid it down on the badge.   
Susan stretched her body across the table and smiled contently in the sunshine.   
The best part of the Hufflepuff common room was the enchanted glass that stood grandly on one side of the building. Students from the outside would only see brick and stone but from the inside, the sunlight streamed in and fed the plants that littered the common room. Tables were dotted around, and students felt as if they were studying outside while staying toasty from the harsh Scottish weather.   
“Oh yeah” Susan crunched down on a sugar quill and turned to Summers, “Tasmin said that she’d burn your broom if you missed tryouts again this year”   
Summers waved her off, “Tazzy loves me” he grinned, “She is just lying to herself”  
Harriet snorted but quickly concealed it into a cough at the sight of Summers glare.   
“Lucky for your broom Umbridge called off the detention” Susan continued wistfully, “She even canceled mine, maybe she developed half a brain”  
Beatrice fell into a coughing fit that rivaled Harriet’s own.   
Summers gave her a hearty slap on the back, “Now, now Bumblebee” he said, grinning, “Don’t die before old Thom musters up enough courage to ask you on a date”   
“I believe we covered this the other day” huffed Beatrice, “The poor boy doesn’t even know I don’t play for his Quidditch team” She froze suddenly with a look to an unphased Susan.   
“Beatrice,” Susan said deadpan, “I have known you for five years, you wear overalls, you could not make a single noise when Esmerelda Minks showed up in our dorm half naked if you think you’re fooling anyone, you’re sorely mistaken”   
Beatrice’s face flushed a beetroot red while Harriet and Summers sniggered.   
“It does make things interesting though” Susan rested her head in her hands cunningly, “If not Thom, who has made you so ditzy in the last few days?”   
Summers whipped around to Beatrice, “What? You like someone? Who? How?” He gasped dramatically, “And how has Susan figured it out before us?” He pointed accusingly at Susan.   
“I don’t know what you’re talking about” muttered Beatrice, her face was beginning to take on an ugly shade of purple.   
“I think you do” Susan’s eyes glinted, “Summers hasn’t noticed it and I believe Harriet has just remained silent in her thoughts” she paused to snigger to herself, “But you could never keep a secret Beatrice, out with it” She slammed her fist down on the table causing a bunch of startled first years to scatter.   
“I can too keep a secret!” Beatrice said defensively, her mind flittering to Dinah, “And I don’t fancy anyone!” Pansy’s smile flashed through her head, “Nope, nope, nope not me” she said weakly.   
Summers gasped, “She does! Merlins beard Susan you were right!”   
Susan nodded smugly, “I’m never wrong”   
Harriet rolled her eyes, “You are all idiots for not seeing it sooner” her quiet sweet voice rang out, capturing everyone’s attention immediately.   
Beatrice smiled to herself, Harriet’s first words of the year. Harriet had a habit of being far too persuasive, Beatrice had figured that much after the whole Summers first year fiasco. Harriet shared sirens blood on her mothers’ side, quite similar to the effect of a veela however neither species would admit it. When Harriet spoke, people just had an urge to do whatever she said, it wasn’t like the imperious curse, they still had free will, it was like a very convincing suggestion.   
Harriet’s talent of ‘gentle suggestions’ was only known to Beatrice after the confrontation the pair had shared in their first year over Summers, since then, Harriet barely spoke more than five words a year. Singing didn’t count to her but was very useful in calming large groups of drunk teens as their twinkling headmaster had discovered at the Yule Ball. Apart from Beatrice and Dumbledore, there wasn’t anyone else who knew, not even Summers.   
…………  
“I’m freezing my tits off” grumbled Susan who was huddled between Harriet and Beatrice on the stands of the Quidditch arena, “Why did we have to come to this again?”   
“Something about supporting our friends” Beatrice’s teeth chattered, “But the fire sounds a lot warmer than the power of friendship”   
Harriet let out a weak cheer as Mona slammed a bludger across the court in another death-defying stunt.  
The three girls stood outside in the freezing autumn wind to watch the Hufflepuff Quidditch tryouts, mostly to watch Tasmin go off on one of her ‘Don’t be like Summers and take this seriously’ rants to the younger and more scared players. The Hufflepuff Quidditch team never had much luck, they always came last, house cup, Quidditch cup, they would probably even be last to be evacuated if Hogwarts was burning down. It was only that unwavering Hufflepuff kindness and sense of justice that stopped them from beating all the other students with rather large Herbology books, at least one house had to be slightly sane.   
This years Quidditch captain had originally been Zacarias Smith but after a rather embarrassing incident with a naked girl, a kettle, and a niffler, Professor Sprout had deemed it right to strip him of his Captain status and give it to the terrifying Tasmin Applebee.   
She was much like Oliver Wood if he had a short blonde pixie cut and resorted to blackmail to keep her team in order.   
Summers whooped as he span around on his broom, catching the snitch effortlessly. He was the team's pride and joy, possibly even their shot at the cup.  
“Did you see that shot” Mona beamed as she made her way towards the others, “That’s my best in months, Tasmin’s gotta let me in”   
“Even I’m gonna be on the team,” Thom said proudly, “I’m the only one who tried for keeper apart from that second year!”   
“Very proud Thom” Summers rolled his eyes before smiling brightly at the girls, “Harry! Did you see my spin?!”  
Harriet scrunched up her nose at Summers sweaty Quidditch uniform and nodded rubbing her hands together for warmth.   
Summers fumbled around in his pocket before producing a pair of gloves, “Here! Mum sent these but they’re too small so just take em kay?” He smiled sweetly, his hair flopping over his face.   
Beatrice smirked at the flushing on Harriet’s face. Harriet and Summers were completely sweet on each other, even if Summers boasted about only other girls, he hardly dated and turned down all his love confessions. Harriet’s love life was completely devoted to her books but her small glances and habits of fussing over Summers were fooling no one.   
“So, dearests” Summers slung his arms around Harriets and Beatrice's neck as they walked down from the bleachers, “Are we all set for Christmas at my place?”   
Beatrice’s mum and Summers's parents were old friends that dated back to their Hogwarts years so, as a result, the pair had practically grown up together and took turns in having the Christmas break over at each other’s houses. In recent years, Harriet had joined in on the tradition and the trio had never been separated since.   
“Darn and I thought this year I’d actually spend my holidays in peace” teased Beatrice.   
In all honesty, Beatrice wasn’t looking forward to the holidays as much as she should’ve been, the whole holiday without seeing Pansy gave her a small pang in her chest she couldn’t quite identify.   
Strangely, Beatrice found herself missing Pansy more and more


	16. Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen

Beatrice was beginning to wish she never brought that fucking cat back to life.

Dinah was a cat of drama and, of course, being a cat of drama, she had to make it Beatrice’s problem when she was car sick all over her owner’s lap. Dinah: 1 Beatrice’s Jeans: 0. Unfortunately, when a cat is ill all over your Levi jeans, you can’t exactly continue to wear said jeans to your best friend's freakishly rich family home. So, Beatrice stood outside the white brick mansion awkwardly tugging on the hem of her white shirt willing it to cover her bright yellow underwear from the disapproving stares of angsty purebloods.

Normally, wizards and witches don’t face clothing issues, a flick of a wand and a few fancy words tends to cure most ailments, but Beatrice was a) underage and b) lacking a certain blood-related witch who could fix her pant problem, or lack thereof.

Susan had decided to ride to the Summers Family home by broom, the cloudy weather gave the witch the perfect concealment from muggles and an excuse to study the various magical creatures along the way.

Beatrice would’ve been more than happy to hop on the back of her mothers’ broom and peer at grumpy doxy’s migrating for the winter but Farhal had decided he wanted to take his suffering old ford for a drive and Beatrice was the head of operation ‘Please make sure your father doesn’t crash, burn and die’. Neither parent quite trusted either transportation methods and Beatrice was the piggy in the middle.

“Hey, I’m all for rebelling against society norms” a familiar voice rang out from behind Beatrice, “But don’t you think it’s a tad cold for top no pants?’ Summers ever tanned face grinned down at Beatrice’s Little Miss Sunshine underwear and raised an eyebrow.

He took off his long winter coat and threw it to Beatrice who caught it with a grumble.

“That bloody cat” She turned on her heel and stomped through the snow up the steps of the mansion with a laughing Summers.

“I take it Dinah is not too happy with your dad's muggle transport?” Summers snorted peering down at the snooty cat daintily prancing up the steps of the house.

“Not too happy is the understatement of the year,” Beatrice said as she hopped from one foot to another to try to bring warmth back into her legs, “I'm pretty sure she brought up half her organs in the car"

Summers grimaced and closed the heavy wooden door behind the two.

"Beatrice! My dear!" A hearty voice roared from the tall staircase, Arsenius Summers's tall broad figure towered over them. His scratchy beard had grown thicker and tickled Beatrice as he engulfed her in a tight hug.

"The days without you and your family never seem to pass as joyfully" He smiled fatherly down at her, his eyes widened when he fully took in her outfit, "What on earth- Beatrice! Are you aware you're wearing no pants?!"

Summers groaned and Beatrice giggled.

"Unfortunate" Beatrice began bitting back a grin, "Dinah decided the pants were not her favourite"

Arsenius nodded knowledgeably, "Of course, Dinah always knows best when it comes to the Scottish weather" His eyes twinkled.

"Ahem" a delicate cough came from behind Arsenius, Foxglove Summers floated down the staircase, a sad faraway smile on her face.

"Hello Beatrice, darling," She said softly, "Please forgive Arsenius, he does miss you so when you're not here"

"You never say that about me!" Summers cried out indignantly, crossing his arms and huffing.

Foxglove ignored Summers.

"We must go greet your parents but Harriet is all settled in your room" She tucked Beatrice's hair behind her ear and sent the two upstairs with obligatory kisses on the cheek.

Beatrice huffed up the stairs as Summer's long legs taunted her, taking two steps at a time without breaking a sweat.

"You should come on a run with me sometime" commented Summers as Beatrice paused to catch her breath at the top of the third floor, "There's a great track at- Ow! Harriet!"

The small girl had dropped her book on Summer's head from a few steps above him, she shook her head with an exasperated disappointed look on her face.

"Thanks, Harry" Beatrice said glaring at Summers. He squeaked and quickly ran up the stairs in mock fear.

The spare room on the fourth floor was old and rusting, just the way Beatrice tended to like her rooms. The Summer's mansion dated back to the 18th century and had stayed exactly the same for all those years, even the skulls in the dungeon chilled in the same place they had died in.

Summer's family was old, pureblood, and had gained notoriety for only bearing one male heir every generation with no other children. This made the male heir incredibly popular with other pureblood families hoping for successors. Summers was a hundred and ten percent exploiting this fact for women.

"I'm telling you, Bumblebee," Summers said dramatically, draping himself over Beatrice's bed, "I'm practically Merlin at these pureblood functions, you'll have to be my bodyguard"

Beatrice snorted, "If I saw purebloods running towards us with doweries, you'd be my human shield, stupid" She pushed Summer's off the bed, "I'm not risking my life for friendship"

Harriet giggled and climbed over the end of the bed to join Beatrice, Summers wormed his way back onto the covers and drew the curtains around the bed. The trio huddled around, pushing and shoving, arguing about who got the spot near Summer's feet.

That was how Farhal found the three hours later when he came to check on the young witches and wizard, snoring, Harriet curled under a blanket, Summer's feet sticking over the end and Beatrice who had somehow star-fished over the others.=

He smiled to himself as he tenderly kissed each on the forehead. He may not be able to protect them with magic but he could still treasure these moments while they lasted.

………………..

"No," Beatrice said flatly, buttering her toast and cutting into uneven triangles, "Absolutely not"

"Pleaseee" whined Summers, "I don't have a choice to go or not, at least make this easier on me!"

Beatrice narrowed her eyes at him, "I get a choice because I'm not looking for a husband, ever, funnily enough" she took a grumpy bite of toast.

Summers spun around in his chair with wide pouting eyes, "Its technically just a way to meet potential candidates, you're not going to walk out of there with a ring and four kids" He reached for Beatrice's other triangle of toast and quickly shoved it in his mouth, "Prus" he continued, mouth full of bread, "Iz a 'ased all"

"Masked ball or no masked ball" Beatrice frowned, "They're still, yunno, kinda all blood supremacists"

Summers swallowed his mouth of food, "Would it help if we put a colon cleansing potion in their butterbeer" he waggled his eyebrows and Harriet snorted from across the table.

Beatrice bit back a giggle and rolled her eyes, "Will you stop pouting if I think it over?" she began to tie up her hair and got to her feet.

"Of course, m'lady" Summers grinned, "Heading off somewhere?"

Beatrice nodded her head, "Yup, gonna check out that crumbling castle we passed on the way here" She slipped on her coat and turned to face the two, "Feel like freezing your tits off?"

Summers wrinkled up his nose and Harriet gave a silent thumbs down without tearing her face from her book.

"Didn’t think so" Beatrice sang as she slipped out the massive doors of the estate.

She walked cheerfully along the path, hands in pockets and boots crunching the snow under her feet. The castle Farhals car had passed on the way to the house had caught her eye for only a second but that second had felt like an hour. She couldn't get the building out of her head, it had gotten to the point that after a few days her mother had suggested she go visit the place to get it off her mind.

Only bits of stone towered over Beatrice, windows where stained glass would've loomed in the sky, and the snow-coated the castle, blending into the stormy grey sky. She hugged her coat tighter around her and walked into the sad remains.

There was something very nostalgic about old buildings, Beatrice had always thought, but no feeling of nostalgia she had ever felt hit her as hard as the ache in her heart this castle gave her. It was abandoned, not even muggle tourists hovered with their cameras. It was just Beatrice, the castle and the snow.

She wandered around the courts and the broken stairways, that strange ache throbbing sadly in the back of her body. It looked like a normal castle. She didn't even notice something odd until she saw a door. Doors weren't strange in regular castles, castles with roofs, this castle did not have a roof. It was a new door, freshly polished, untouched by weather, contently sitting in the side of the western tower.

Beatrice blinked and rubbed her eyes. The door had not been there a few minutes ago.

"God I really need to pay more attention to charms" She muttered to herself examining the door, it had been concealed with a chameleon charm and protected from the muggle eye.

She hesitated before firmly tugging on the brass door handle. Beatrice stepped into a dusty stone room, she pulled a heavy torch out of her bag and flicked it on letting out a shrill scream when the light fell on a wrinkled face. Beatrice fell back onto her bum and fumbled frantically for her wand, pointing it straight in front of her.

The face glared down at her, "Young lady, I do not believe that is an appropriate way to greet a person"

Beatrice squinted before letting out a relieved sigh, "Thank god" she brushed the dirt off her face, "You're just a painting"

The elderly painting let out a haughty sound, "Hardly, I am the painting of Lady Tulia Wittlesnap, Lady of this castle and far above some strange little witch wearing only her undergarments" she peered over her glasses, "Really child it's highly inappropriate to walk around like that"

Beatrice looked down at her woolen coat pulled over her navy tights and skirt. "This is super conservative!" Beatrice retorted, "You're the one who's strange, you've been stuck in a hidden room for god knows how many years!"

Lady Wittlesnap sniffed, turning her nose up, "Only a few hundred years"

"No biggie," Beatrice said sarcastically.

"You are really an insolent child, children get more and more disrespectful as the years go on," Lady Wittlsnap said with disdain, "You are even more ill-mannered than my granddaughter"

"I can see why she must be" muttered Beatrice.

"Do not mumble!"

"I'm beginning to see why you were left in this room," Beatrice said loudly, "You're really judgy"

Lady Wittlsnap began to splutter and go an ugly shade of purple, she shot Beatrice a nasty glare and sat with her back to the young witch.

"Wittlesnap" Beatrice mused to herself on the floor, "Where on earth-" She shot up.

"Tulia!" she ran up to the portrait.

"Lady Wittlsnap is my name" she replied grumpily, her back still to Beatrice.

"Your granddaughter's name" Beatrice ignored her, "What was it?" She hopped toe to toe.

"Why should-"

"Please, Lady Wittlesnap!"

Lady Wittlesnap turned to face Beatrice and rolled her eyes, "Cordelia, she is called Cordelia"

"Very similar to you" Lady Wittlesnap continued, "Ill-mannered and waving her wand around willy nilly"

Beatrice's mouth hung open. Cordelia Wittlesnap, the owner of the diary, the diary that taught Beatrice everything about her necromancy. Cordelia Wittlesnap's insufferable grandmother was reprimanding   
her in an abandoned castle.

"She lived here?" Beatrice breathed excitedly, "In this castle?"

"Hardly" snorted Lady Wittlesnap, "She lived in a separate estate with her godparents, I could hardly be expected to take care of her after the passing of her parents, no, she lived with the Selwyns"

Beatrice faltered, "The Selwyn estate?"

"Yes" continued Lady Wittlsnap primly, "Count and Countess Selwyn took her in and she visited me every Tuesday to exchange snide comments"

Beatrice stood and brushed the dirt off her, "Thanks for the help" She grinned, "Not so much for the conversation"

She turned to leave.

"Wait!"

Ladt Wittlesnaps eyes were wide, "Please don't leave me here, I've been stuck for a few hundred years with nobody to talk to"

"You were pretty rude for someone who's been isolated since before sliced bread"

"Sliced bread? Oh it doesn't matter" Lady Wittlesnap shook her head, "Please, don't let me be here for another hundred years"

Beatrice bit her lip, "Look" she began, "I will come back in a few days and move you to my friend's place, can you stay here for a few more days"

Lady Wittlesnap nodded silently.

"Good" Beatrice tucked her wand away, "I have Tracy Selwyn's masquerade ball to crash"


End file.
